Sands through an Hourglass
by Emerald Dragoness
Summary: The story continues, and Hiei is about to take the full impact of his current situation. Hmmm...Maybe there's more to Sesshoumaru than meets the eye...
1. The Beginning

Sorry; nothing's mine but the original stuff.

You don't have to, for its not REALLY important, but I do suggest that you read the other story, "No one Ever Stays the Same" simply because it introduces the original characters as well as the basic plotline. Now, on with the story!

* * *

(Sleep…Actually, it's a wonderful thing, at least, when you can get it. However, when your husband sleeps like a chain-saw, it becomes a little tricky. Well, Keiko took care of that problem by carefully administering an elbow to the back of his head, an action that quickly took care of her problem and therefore, shut him up. However, he wasn't too pleased, so he promptly replaced his snoring with a bit of yelling.) 

Yusuke: What did I do now!

Keiko: You snore. And anyway, Koenma wants to see you this morning, remember? You have to get up for your meeting.

Yusuke: What happened to gentle shakes, and whispers of "Yusuke, get up?"

Keiko: That got old two years ago. Move it, before you're late. You don't want to do your job like you did school, now do you?

Yusuke: (too innocently) Well…what answer are you looking for?

(Finding himself rubbing the back of his head as he felt the collision of a book up against it, he shook his head and made his way to the bathroom, trying to find some way to wake himself up. He opted for brushing his teeth, all the while wondering why Koenma couldn't possibly have a better time to bug the heck out of him.)

Yusuke: _Yeesh, first Koenma, now Keiko…_(sigh) I can't take this abuse….

* * *

(Hiei, though he had no trouble with early morning, wasn't faring much better, seeing as how he had gotten a visit from one of the last people he wanted to see at all, let alone several hours before dawn. In fact, Kenta was still talking to him about something or another, and doing a very good job of being annoying, just as Hiei thought Kuwabara was at any time. Taking the liberty to doze a few hours, he awoke just as the first bits of blue were appearing to the sky, and sighing, rolled off the branch, landing on the ground where Kenta must have either fallen, or was just laying. Shaking his head and rolling his eyes, Hiei slapped him with the tip of his tail, waking the dragon up, and then teleporting to the portal to the Spirit World. Kenta looked around confused for a bit, but then teleported as well, trying to catch up with Hiei.)

* * *

(A loud ringing filled his ears, and he unconsciously hit his alarm clock, rolling over in the process. He thought highly of going back to sleep, but found that he couldn't so he just got up. It wasn't quite dawn yet, but Koenma had stressed that they get there as early as possible, and Kuwabara wasn't really in the mood to either listen to a lecture about being punctual, or rather, ignore it like he and Yusuke usually would. Stretching, he made himself get up, wishing that he was a morning person like Kurama was…)

* * *

(In all actuality, Kurama was the only one who didn't wake up in some annoyed or bothersome way, and seeing as how waking up early was no big deal for him, he didn't mind the time of the meeting in the least. He got up rather swiftly, and getting dressed in a pair of white pants and a blue shirt, he tidied up his room and apartment a bit before putting on his shoes and leaving. He wasn't entirely sure what it was that they would be doing so early, but he supposed it was best he got together his seeds, and set off for the portal to the Spirit World.)

* * *

Koenma: Well, I'm sure you're wondering why you're here so early. Well, to keep away all the sarcastic remarks, I'll just go ahead and tell you. Today, and possibly for quite some time, you four will either be training for a fight against the dragons or locating the Gemstones; I'm sure you remember them.

Kuwabara: You mean the Legendary Gemstones? What are we looking for them for?

Koenma: I'm very glad you asked. In fact, that reminds me of this tape you are supposed to watch, so to be sure you do watch it, you can do it now.

(Turning their attention to the monitor in the office, they watched as the picture took its place, and on the screen appeared quite the arrangement of beautiful stones. The picture seemed to be something of a documentary, so Yusuke instinctively became bored, just as Kurama began to pay attention. Hiei showed no interest, though watched none-the-less, and Kuwabara and Kenta watched, simply curious as to what was so special about the colored stones.)

_The Legendary Gemstones are not stones, but solid masses of energy that resemble jewels of their respected colors. Each 'stone' has its own color, and its own unique personality, as well as a specific holder to its power. The specific 'stones' include the Ruby, Bloodstone, Garnet, Yellow Topaz, Emerald, Sardonyx, Sapphire, Blue Topaz, and Amethyst, which are…_

Kenta: We already know that part. What's the point of this?

Koenma: If you and Yusuke paid attention, you'd know that.

…_others include the Onyx, Pearl, Diamond, Black Pearl, and Black Diamond. These are unspecific, and will yield its power to any who possesses it; these are also the most powerful, yet all come in various sizes. Some are quite large, giving them more sensitivity towards its wielder, yet some are smaller, holding much more power, and being less controllable._

(The screen went black for a while, leading Yusuke to believe that it was all the information they were getting, but the picture reappeared, and once again, the voice explained. As it spoke, there seemed to be a battle playing out on the screen before them, and this battle consisted of nothing but dragons, some looking like dinosaurs and others resembling snakes. Some had wings, whereas others did not, but regardless, they were all fighting with the same strength, and none appeared to be winning the fight.)

_Long ago, when the earth belonged to the Dragons, there was a battle: its purpose, to decide which dragon of a specific color gained certain areas of the world. However, the dragons were all too evenly matched, leaving none victorious over the other, and so, the Gemstones were created. From the spirit and energy of each dragon, a sphere was formed of that specific color, and as it took form, they all combined, creating one large beast. The Eternal Dragoness, or Dragon of the Opal, caused the energy to take the form of gemstones, and they were scattered across the earth, each taking its place in a different location…_

Yusuke: You can't be serious…We're looking for Dragonic Energy?

Koenma: Perceptive, Yusuke. I see you do have the ability to pay attention. (At this, he received a semi-glare)

…_and even though the stones were scattered, their energies went to the place where the element reigned. Stones such as the Garnet, Bloodstone, and Ruby took their place in volcanic regions, being either on land or underwater, in places such as the Chain of Fire, or volcanic-made islands. The Emerald and Sardonyx took place in forested areas, such as present-day Brazil. The Sapphire and Blue-Topaz were sent to the seas, and the Amethyst, Yellow-Topaz, along with the unspecified stones, were sent either to the mountainous, arctic, or grassy regions of the earth: mountain chains and Mid-Africa are two examples. However, the true locations of these energy-stones is unknown, for they have been subject…_

Kuwabara: Well that's not helping much…

Kurama: Wait; there's a bit more to this.

…_legends state that the dragons that descend from those that created the stones can detect any and all of the energy orbs, just as there is said to be a strange reaction of power from them when one of these dragons is near them; but it is merely speculation, as well as the fact of those certain dragons existing. However, there does seem to be a connection to this and mysterious stone carvings found in the Demon World, but no definite link is known. Philosophers believe…_

Koenma: Well, I think that's all you need to know. Any questions?

Kurama: How accurate is this information?

Koenma: Very. It is updated every two years, to provide any and all possible sources to locate these stones.

Hiei: …Suppose there are descendents of those dragons in the Dragon Realm. What are we supposed to do if they reach them before us?

Koenma: A very good question, but it is one that I cannot answer. We've been looking for these stones for a while now, but have found only a few. Apparently, many of the dragons of the Dragon Realm have already found them. The best ting for us to do is to find as many as we can, and retrieve as many from the Dragons as well.

Yusuke: (sarcastically) Great…But where does this training thing come from?

Koenma: Ah, yes; the training. You shall rotate your schedules. Actually, I can tell you where you are to go now. Yusuke and Hiei, you will need to go to the Demon World, and navigate the maze of portals to get to the thirteenth level. There, you should have no problem finding who you are to be looking for.

Yusuke: Who is it exactly?

Koenma: Well, when you get there, you'll meet a girl, but you'll also meet Inuyasha. I've talked him and his brother into training you, seeing as how he had fought Dragons successfully before.

Hiei: Wonderful…

Koenma: Kurama, you and Kuwabara will be on first duty for hunting the Gemstones. You will meet Kyubi there, and she can help you out a bit.

Kuwabara: Isn't that the fox-girl you fought at the tournament?

Kurama: The vixen; yes…quite an interesting coincidence.

Koenma: Isn't it? Now, you best be off; the sooner this starts, the better it should turn out.

* * *

(Footsteps echoed quietly through the dimly lit corridors as he walked along down the underground passages. With each torch passed, the area beside him lit up with a blue energy that cast an eerie glow along the stone walls, and sent his shadow lurking ahead of his figure. He couldn't count the number of times he had come down these stone corridors, each step descending him down to the dungeons below, but this time was different. This time, he wasn't the prisoner, nor was he to make one. He was here to see what his purpose for being summoned to the place was, and he presumed his "father" was the one doing the calling. Swiftly and silently, he made his way with practiced stealth, and reached his destination, pushing open the metallic doors and walking into the black room. For human and even demon eyes, it would appear to be nothing more than a room of darkness, but he could see differently, and he knew his "father" lurked somewhere in that darkness…he simply never knew where. 

He stepped into the darkness, feeling the familiar air behind him as the door swung closed, and a small light appeared with the clash. Looking at the man before him, he sighed inaudibly, and stared into the flaming gaze put on him. It had been a long time since he had looked into those eyes without fear and with confidence, and his blue eyes shone like arctic ice, reflecting the paleness of their owner's skin and yet the darkness of his hair. Hitairu looked at the man with eyes that rivaled the crimson of his hair, and a strange chill passed through him; he refused to shiver or show it at all, and instead, blocked the intrusion to his mind. His "father's" eyes darkened, and he knew frustration had been achieved; he only had to give the final push.)

Hitairu: I assume you summoned me.

Kuro Kasai: You aren't wrong. Though, this meeting is pointless.

Hitairu: I must agree. Tell me what you must so that I can waste my time elsewhere.

Kuro Kasai: Watch your tongue, boy. You clearly forget with whom you toy.

Hitairu: I disagree.

Kuro Kasai: You dare argue with me?

Hitairu: No; I merely give you the disrespect you deserve.

Kuro Kasai: How dare you talk to me in such a way! Do you not remember who I am to you?

Hitairu: I remember very vividly. You are my living nightmare, and I am the being that you force under your control. Am I not correct?

(There is was; the slight flare of anger in the energy pattern and aura that he both loved and loathed to feel. He loved it for the knowledge that he had broken through the emotionless and cool, smug wall that the dragon always erected against others, but he loathed it for the knowledge that he had pressed too far. With the achievement of aggravation, there was always the promise of pain, and almost immediately, Hitairu felt that pain. It was cruel, and fully forced; meant to give him the most pain possible, and that intent never failed to be accomplished. To give in was to submit, but to resist would bring nothing more than more of the searing, burning, tearing feeling to his mind.

He always chose the former, dropping to his knees with an inner smirk as he knew…he knew one day, he would be able to give it all back; to claim his freedom from the vile creature that took every opportunity to throw him from every path of his life, and erect an impenetrable wall where he once stood, blocking all escape until another path was found or formed. He would always ride out the pain and hurt, his life unharmed, and constantly protected. It was the only upset to the entire ordeal; Hitairu could never be disposed of like any other dragon; he was needed too much by the elder man. He knew it, and knew it well.

But with this glimmer of sun, there was ever a looming shadow.

Hitairu craved his freedom, and the power to rule his own life; anyone who ever laid eyes on him could see it, but with that freedom, death would surely follow: the fatal blow dealt by the very hand that would never fail to hurt him in one instant, and save his life the next. It was a cruel, heartless game, and if anything, Hitairu loathed the feeling of being some plaything; a puppet for amusement that as brought out whenever its master wished for entertainment. But it would stop. One day, and one day soon, there would be only one of them left standing. Whether it be the captor or the captive was undecided, but he knew, and he knew well…

Only one of them could survive in the long-run. Each of them in a war against the other, as well as others who wished to oppose them. But one would rise above all, and one would have everything; there was only the question of who.

But it was as things should be. There can be only one victor in a war, and even in a draw, both have lost, leaving no victor. He would endure, and from this grow stronger; it was his way, and always had been, just as it would continue to be; there was only the matter of time, but there was an eternity for this war to rage on. Should they both perish in this war, the battle would continue even in their eternity on the molten grounds of hell; eventually, one would break, and the other would emerge: wounded, tattered, torn…but victorious. He let the pain diminish, and as though it were forgotten, he stood and was given his orders; leaving one more battle behind them, and many more ahead…)

Kuro Kasai: Sesshoumaru, Yusuke, Hiei…all of them threaten me. However, they can be bent to my will. Bring Sesshoumaru to me…it is a task that is difficult, yet not impossible. With him under my control, Hiei can be easily apprehended, and then…then Yusuke can be disposed of and all threats shall be diminished.

Hitairu: Just how do you expect me t go about this task? Sesshoumaru is a ruthless warlord. He is not one that is subject to capture; such a thing is nearly impossible.

Kuro Kasai: Understand me; he has weaknesses, they must simply be exploited. I would believe that there is a rapidly-growing vulnerability that will soon inconvenience him; just give him the time. His skills of battle and war could help our side immensely in the upcoming wars.

Hitairu: And Hiei?

Kuro Kasai: Must I explain everything to you? One would be led to believe that you are ill in the mind.

(The last comment was made suggestively toward the several attacks to Hitairu's mind he had made, and at such a remark, Hitairu unconsciously snorted, receiving a warning look in his direction. He crossed his arms as he stood before Kuro Kasai, knowing very well that he could be dropped to his knees in a single heartbeat, but also knowing that it would not be anything that was to be considered unbearable. His blue eyes flashed, and Kuro Kasai's red ones darkened. Hitairu left his mouth and mind shut, knowing that even his luck shouldn't be pressed, and continued to stare the dragon down, waiting for his answer.)

Kuro Kasai: Hiei already has one exploited weakness; his sister. Now, should you allow his affections toward that woman grow, he can be easily apprehended with a bit of persuasion.

Hitairu: I should suspect that when Hiei and Kenta, who is already under your thumb, are taken from the team and forced to fight against the remaining three, Yusuke will allow his own feelings to interfere with his critical thinking, and therefore fall as well, with a bit of assistance from his woman, of course…

Kuro Kasai: You catch on well for one so…well, like yourself. With those three on our side, we should be invincible. And don't forget their personalities. There are certain…"soft spots" in their pasts that can be exploited, and that will push them to our side and our advantage.

Hitairu: You are referring to Hiei's past and his coping with betrayal and disloyalty?

Kuro Kasai: Why yes; as well as Sesshoumaru and his little bit of history with Inuyasha. Those two will never have an actual bond, so in all honesty, they can easily be turned against one another. Yusuke's past is of no concern to me, so it can be avoided. I suggest you work on the most difficult target first. Understood?

Hitairu:…Yes, Kuro Kasai. I understand very well.

Kuro Kasai: Good. And I suggest you watch your abilities this time. We wouldn't want to mess things up, would we? Especially when one's freedom can so easily fly out of the opened window, along with all opportunity. (smirks) Am I not correct?

(He didn't even make an attempt to give a response. With a spark of flame glinting in his eyes, he teleported, not really caring where he wound up, but wanting to be anywhere than there. He so hated to do this man's bidding for him, but what choice did he have? He had none, and he knew it well.

To use one's own past…their pain, and their sadness against them was far worse than any hurt that could ever be inflicted on someone. Such things can drive a being to hate, to loathe, and to detest those around them that are both guilty and innocent of that very past. He despised doing that to others…the same way it was done to him, but he had no options, and no other choice…

A flare of rage burned through his icy heart, and he frowned at the thought of the things he would have to do in order to save himself…but if he did not save himself, then there would be the few close to him that would suffer. But, did he honestly want that for any of those surrounding his targets? It would be no different, and he himself would be troubled by doing such things. Manipulation is a most horrid game…and one that bears no victors…

Hitairu let the thoughts pass, and teleported once more from the tree that he had been crouched in, and went to the home that was hidden from others; the place not even his "father" and master knew of. It was his refuge, and home, where there were the people and the three alone that cared for him; he disappeared from sight, leaving his thoughts on the swift breeze that blew through the lands.)

_"I don't know when, I don't know how…but I will be victorious over him somehow. It will be merely time…miniscule seconds that pass into minutes, then hours and days. But no matter; in this eternity, there will be only one victor over us, Kuro Kasai; mark my words. And it will be nothing more than a matter of time that separates "now" from that time…"_

**Time…**

…**nothing more than the Sands through an Hourglass…**


	2. Chapter 2

After meeting with Koenma, Kurama, Kuwabara, and Kenta had gone straight to the human world to begin their search. However, when they got to the department store in which they were supposed to meet Kyubi, they ran into heavy interference, with the last person they needed to see…or rather, last three persons. On top of the building, there were three of the dragons that had fought them in the tournament; apparently, they hadn't been executed yet. Yashira was the first to descend, followed by Setare and Kentamaru; all of whom, weren't happily seen by Kurama and Kuwabara. Kenta, however, seemed to have an abrupt change in attitude, going from cocky and arrogant in one instant to shady and rather tense the next; Kurama was the only one to notice, and immediately caught on to the situation; there was going to be more than one problem on their hands, but it was no doubt that the three in front of him had come for only one thing: the emerald around his neck that he had taken from Yashira…He wasn't wrong.

Yashira: I believe you have something that isn't yours, Fox.

Kurama: _I_ believe that you are mistaken.

Yashira: The emerald; give it to me.

Kurama: I will not.

Yashira: Then I'll kill you.

She rushed at him, her speed having increased greatly from before, and she caught him off his guard, which threw them both up against the wall of the building behind them. Her claws dug into his shoulder with the force of the impact, and to prevent himself any further injury, he went against his more proper impulses and knocked her away by the use of a kick in the stomach. He heard Kuwabara's disapproval of the action, but ignored it as he dodged another lunge from the white dragoness. However, he wasn't the only one fighting against one of them. Kenta had gained a fierce opponent, as Setare entered the battle. Using jets of water, he threw the black dragon back against the same wall, but the force of this impact was much more fierce than the first. Kenta slammed into the building with enough force to send a tremble through the foundation, and it wasn't only Kurama who noticed. Kentamaru, though watching the fight before him, wasn't interested in fighting, but in capturing; he lunged at Kuwabara and caught him by the throat, trapping him before he teleported away. Kurama caught sight of the action, as well as the fact that Setare stopped fighting the minute it happened; he teleported as well, disappearing in a sharp flash of blue light.

Yashira: What's wrong, foxy-boy? Wondering where your friend is? Well, I might tell you, if you give me the Emerald.

Kurama: You'll tell me, and I'll give you nothing.

Yashira: Oh? Well, don't be so sure about that; if you want to know where they are, I suggest you find Hitairu. He's the only one of us who knows where Kuwabara will be going. But don't think you're off the hook; I'll be back, and when I do return, you will meet your end, demon.

In a second, she was gone, but the instant she disappeared, Kyubi emerged from the store, apparently either worried, confused, or both, judging by the look on her face. She ran over to Kurama, who looked none too pleased at the recent occurrence, and turned to the vixen, cutting off her question.

Kurama: There's no time to explain. We have to put our gem-hunting on pause for a while; there is a more pressing matter on our hands at the moment. (looks over) Kenta, you live in the Dragon's Realm. Where is Hitairu?

Kenta:…I don't know. He may be somewhere with those three, but I have no idea where that could be…

Kurama: Very well, then. The best thing we can do right now is find Yusuke and Hiei, and hope for the best. Let's go.

He turned and ran toward the other ends of the city, where the portal to the Demon World could be recreated; Kenta and Kyubi followed with swiftness equal to his own, even though they knew not of where they were going to be going. Already, they were off to a bad start, and by experience, Kurama knew it could only get worse as time passed…

* * *

Although Kurama, Kenta, and Kuwabara were having a bit of trouble with dragons, they weren't the only ones fighting against them. When Yusuke and Hiei arrived in the northwestern area of the thirteenth level, they were met with a very unexpected and unnerving sight as they emerged from the forest. Blood littered much of the ground before them and was still spilling from the beasts fighting in that specified region; all four of them looked as though they had been in combat for quite some time, for they looked as though they were beginning to exhaust and weaken. They recognized only two of them right off the bat: Hitairu and Abunai, but judging by what they remembered, Sesshoumaru was also picked out of the scuffle. However, there was one fighter that they didn't recognize; because they were all fully-transformed, it was difficult to follow, but the one what was completely unrecognizable was apparently a wolf, which had fur of a navy color and eyes of a very pale lavender, judging by the flashes of them that were seen. Like Sesshoumaru, he had muscular legs, and a long tail, but unlike the white-haired demon, he didn't look completely like a dog. All three canines fought hard against Hitairu, but it looked as though they were having a few troubles…

Hiei looked around, finding Inuyasha among the trees of the forest edge, and climbed the them, jumping branches to reach him. He looked as though he were either hiding or protecting something, and as he got closer, he noticed that the something was indeed a person; a small person, at that. It was a child: a pup, in this case, who had large brown eyes and long black hair. It was definitely a female, for she looked like nothing but such, and she had pale skin and small claws. She must have been a demon as well, and by the scent of it, Inuyasha's demon; most likely his child. He was holding her close to him, his arm hiding what the branches of the treetop didn't of her form, and he was looking worriedly down at the fight playing out before him. Sesshoumaru was remaining much stronger than the other two on his side, but with the constant blows from the dragon's claws tearing into the same wound on his right shoulder, he was not faring well. Though he had not yet allowed himself to limp from the wound, much of his blood was running from his body, the injury never having time to stop bleeding before it was torn into again; Abunai and the other wolf were hurt as well, and though not critically, they didn't look as though they could remain standing much longer.

The three were fighting in an unorganized pattern, each attacking at a random interval, and trying unsuccessfully to defeat the monster before them. With each leap at its throat, it would bat the offender away, and once more would be attacked, only for the same action to be taken; this repeated again and again, never ending until one fated second, things changed. The unrecognized wolf made a lunge, a bit quicker than it had been previously, and sank its fangs and claws through the scales on the dragon's back. The action drew a rush of blood and an angered roar of pain from Hitairu; however, the wolf was also thrown off forcefully, the clawed hand of the dragon coming down hard on his stomach, tearing through flesh and slamming him down onto the rocky soil. Beside Hiei, Inuyasha tensed momentarily from the sound of the sickening snap echoing through the air to his sensitive ears, and as though understanding, the girl in his arms whimpered softly with a startled yelp; but they weren't the only ones to notice this. Maybe it was the sound reaching him that gave him the boost he needed to attack, or it was the snarl he gave that created the sound in the first place; whatever the case, Sesshoumaru made one more lunge, and made contact with Hitairu's throat…but not without a price. As his fangs tore into the dragon's neck, the fatal blow came slowly because of the thick hide around the vulnerability; however, as his throat was being torn into, Hitairu slashed with his claws along the demon's sides, creating deep gashes as the dog was thrown off. Sesshoumaru landed on his feet as Hitairu faded from before him, and as he knew the dragon was gone, his tension released, allowing him to return to his regular form. The blue-haired wolf had cancelled his transformation the instant he connected with the ground, but Abunai was the last to return to her manipulative form. Sesshoumaru's breathing was undoubtedly haggard, and unusually rapid. Blood trailed from the newer wounds on his sides and greatly from the shredded flesh of his right shoulder, but he ignored all of this, his stance never slouching from fatigue, and he looked toward the trees where Inuyasha was located.

His eyes contacted with his brothers, and then trailed down to where he knew the child was located; Inuyasha leapt down from the tree, carrying the girl, and walked over to his elder half-brother; a look of concern shown defined in his eyes. Sesshoumaru spoke briefly before Inuyasha leapt off again, this time not returning, and the full-demon turned to Yusuke; he raised an eyebrow slightly as he did so. Yusuke took the action as a sign that it was safe enough to come out without having to fight anybody, and Hiei landed next to the dog-demon, his eyes instinctively moving to the wounds that he bore. Sesshoumaru shrugged this off, and turned to Yusuke, whom he _just knew_ was going to ask a question.

Yusuke: So, uh…What'd we miss, exactly?

Sesshoumaru: Nothing of your concern. Do you know the location of these "Gemstones" that dragon speaks of?

Yusuke: Well, no; but we have the other half of the team looking for them now.

Sesshoumaru: Very well then…I shall return later; for the meantime, I suggest you make your way to the castle.

Without another word or allowing one to be thrown his direction, Sesshoumaru walked past him and through the dense trees. His energy feeling slowly faded away, and after watching the direction in which the dog-demon lord had gone, Hiei and Yusuke turned to Abunai and where she was fighting the other demon on the ground, apparently trying to keep him down. However, she lost the fight, and he knocked her backward, standing after he did so, with his hand to his bare stomach. Blood dripped over his fingers, but he seemed to shrug this off as he looked at the two beings standing near him; he wasn't too sure who they were, but he did have a clue as to why they were there.

"You must be here to meet with Sesshoumaru. Well, as you can see, he likes to run off at times like these; you wouldn't happen to know where exactly he ran off to, would you?

Hiei: No, we don't; who might you be?

"I should be asking you that question, but very well; I suppose introductions _are_ in order… My name is Taisei; I suppose you can determine why. I am a very distant relative of the dog-demon you know; fourth-cousin, to be exact, and a few times removed. Make no mistake, however; I am indeed not related in any way to that half-bred mongrel of a canine called Inuyasha; Sesshoumaru is my only true living relative. Now, who are you?"

Yusuke: (points respectively) Hiei; Yusuke. Detectives…well, he's a detective; I'm a demon lord--but then again, he really doesn't detect, because he was supposed to be watching the gateway to the Demon World--

Hiei: We work for Koenma…Unfortunately. Since its apparent that Sesshoumaru isn't here at this precise moment, what do we do?

Taisei: Go to the castle. Oh, but you see that giant one over there against the mountain? It isn't real, between you and I. The real one is underground, and in a completely different worldwhere it was moved after the Feudal Era, five-hundred years previous...you'll understand when you see it.

Yusuke: Why move a castle? Was it in danger or something?

Taisei: It holds several valuable items, such as heirlooms, treasures, and the sort. To be honest, he had replicas of the place built all over the Demon World, so his enemies couldn't find the real one; some are mirages, and others are just fakes. And even if you were lucky enough to make it to the right location, you'd have to navigate a dark maze to find the proper of his twelve underground homes.

Yusuke: Twelve?! How did he get twelve identical castles build underground?!

Abunai: The simple fact that people fear him. Now--(turns to Taisei)--You'd better get to that castle, before you collapse from blood-loss. That's no minor injury, you know.

Taisei: Woman, please. I'm well able of taking care of myself.

Abunai: You are impossible; (looks at Hiei) Oh, Hiei; there was a woman looking for you earlier today. She's at the castle; I told her to just wait for you. Do you know who she is?

Hiei: Hn…If only I didn't.

Yusuke: What is with you and that woman? She's nice enough; what about her don't you like?

Hiei: She's an immature child; her interests aren't up to standards with mine.

Taisei: Do you refer to the female with the long violet hair, and strange eyes? In my opinion, she seems very mature, but I suppose that's because I look at women in a different light than you may…Nonetheless, I do believe you will change your mind when we arrive at the castle; who you'll find may surprise you…

* * *

Well, that's the end of another chapter. I would have updated sooner, but I hadn't realized anyone had read this newer story yet. Also, zee, you were confused as to why I changed my name and profile. Well, because you missed the author note before it was erased, I'll just fill you in here, and get you out of the dark. You see, I know you may be tired of hearing this, but Silver Cerberus: AKA, Chris, wasn't the one to write that other story. I was the one to do so, and I had given him a copy of this fan fiction work. He must have copied it and posted it as his, and his sister's (?), I think…but I'm not too sure. Anyway, I don't really care that he did it, seeing as how I never even knew about the site before then, so now that I do, I think I'll post some other stories under other anime that I like. So, no hard feelings toward him, and I'm willing to let the whole thing drop since he is. To be honest, he helped me, rather than hindered, because now, I know there are people out there besides him that think I'm a good writer.

So, from now on, all honesty, and to all of the others (3?) that reviewed, I appreciate it! Makes me feel all loved and everything! The loyal reviewers are back, so I see, and as I get to know you myself, I hope we can get to more friendly terms…Even though I can tell you're nice. So, keep those reviews commin', and any criticism and help is appreciated. I may need it before the half-way point has been reached. Oh, and that preview at the end of the other story was valid; I just have to find a way to tie it all in together…


	3. The Plot Thickens

"This should be fun."

The words were said with dripping sarcasm.

After Yusuke and Hiei had been able to find the castle, they had to find a place to sleep for a week…or four. Hiei had been much faster, and had located the hall with the largest spaces; he had also picked the largest room, because of one tiny little factor that Taisei had chosen to slip in on him: he was going to have a roommate, and it wasn't Yusuke. So, Hiei had just been himself, and decided to put the largest amount of space between himself and Kenyusa as possible. Even though he had done this, none of the others could see why; even though Yusuke didn't particularly trust the woman completely, he had to admit that she had helped them quite a deal in the tournament…and there was the fact that she had changed significantly. In comparison to how she looked now, she was a little kid before. Her hair had grown and was now held back behind her head; throughout the violet locks, highlights of lavender were easily seen. _She_ hadn't grown much, but her features sure had; she was more curvaceous, and her eyes even seemed to have changed shape; they were now almond-shaped, and the green hue of them even brighter and more electric. She still had the bangs, but they too had become longer, and hung over her right eye; the longest pieces framed that side of her face, and made her new appearance just that much more alluring. Her clothes were the same, but her blue shirt had been replaced by one of a dark green; the necklace she wore still gleamed bright silver. Hiei had noticed all of these things, but they weren't the things on his mind; the thing he noticed more was her change of mind, and the way she kept her distance from him more than she had before. This, he had no problem with, to be honest. She seemed a little more out of control with her energy pattern, and a lot more dangerous; though he hated to admit, Hiei was drawn to this new feature like a moth to open flame. She wasn't naive, but adult-like; she had gone from "immature child" to "young woman." Or so _Hiei_ believed. The others just thought she had spruced up a little, and had no problem with any way she looked; she, however, hadn't even realized she had been through so great a change, nor did Hiei realize he was paying that much attention to her. But either way, they were sharing a large room decorated in the colors of ebony and pale-azure; it looked to be the size of Yusuke's apartment plus some; his own was much the same.

Yusuke had placed himself at the very front of the hall, in a room of black and green. It was also very large, but because he didn't really want that much space, it wasn't as big as the others were. As expected, it was only semi-modern, and still had much of the same things that they supposed were there in the feudal times. The floors were still wooden, like much of the furniture, but the doors had been replaced by wood, rather than having those of rice paper. Both the chosen rooms had a side hall, which led straight to an under-mountain hot spring, and each had a wardrobe, holding both traditional and modernized clothes. After dropping the string-bag that he had been fortunate enough to bring with him, he did a few more investigations on the other rooms, and decided to follow his way back to the stairs, being sure that he didn't get lost in the maze of assorted halls and other rooms that he had a feeling he wasn't supposed to be in. On his way back, he ran into Abunai, who instructed him that he shouldn't be going the way he was, but because he didn't listen to her, he soon found out why. His walking took him to the other side of the castle, and as he went down a hallway, he became aware of an odd feeling. He kept going, however, and the further he walked, the more images he began seeing; on the walls, there were painted pictures, and somehow he got the feeling that they told a very complicated story.

_Almost like hieroglyphics…I wonder what the pictures say…_

He continued on his path, looking at assorted paintings of demons and other creatures, when he accidentally made a wrong turn, and found himself in a dark circular room with a large statue in the center. The thing looked like a big white monster, but it was a dog, and a very scary one at that. As he took a step into the room, its eyes blazed red, and the room lit up, letting him see the snarl etched on the canine statue. Its poise suggested that it was ready to leap out at him, and in an instant, dizziness overtook him, and he saw something that he never wanted to. The creature came to life, the granite moving around him, and the dog lunged at him.

He quickly stumbled out of the room and slammed the door shut behind him. He also ran into Abunai again.

Abunai: I told you not to come this way.

Yusuke: Well, now you know that I don't listen to people.

Abunai: I do know that you're an imbecile. That statue hadn't moved one inch; it's an illusion, and a damn good one. It traps intruders, or those that aren't invited into the chambers.

Yusuke: Chambers?

Abunai: (nods) Yes. The statue is a guardian to Sesshoumaru's room, as well as his forbidden halls. You were headed straight for them.

Yusuke: Why are they forbidden?

Abunai: Ask him if you just have to know. Maybe he'll tell you.

Yusuke: I'll pass; I don't need to know that badly. How do I get out of here?

Abunai: Go down the other hall. You should find yourself at another staircase; there are three, so take the one on the far end of them. It's a long descend, but you should make it down okay, as long as you don't slip, or something. I suggest you slide down the guardrail. Now move before Sesshoumaru comes back; I have to light the torches along the walls, as well as mask your scent; wouldn't want him to think you're a trespasser, would you?

Yusuke: No, that's okay. We can keep this between us and that statue in there. I'm outta here; I've seen too much weird stuff for one day…

He turned and left, while Abunai used her poison energy to wipe his scent from the area, as well as her own. She lit the flames on the walls, and went on her way as well; she didn't know what was going on in the dog-demon's mind when he allowed them to stay there, but one thing was for sure: there wasn't going to be another moment's peace in the entire castle…

**- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - **

"Are you sure we aren't going in circles?"

"Yeah, because that tree looks just like the one we passed in the last level."

"For the last time to both of you, it is not the same. Now be quiet before you alert every demon in Makai to your presence. They won't take it too lightly that a dragon is in their lands."

Kurama and his group weren't too far from the thirteenth level, so they had slowed their pace a slight bit to insure that they needn't stop completely for a break. Kurama had the most knowledge of the landscape out of the three, and with that knowledge he made sure that he used every shortcut he knew of; there was no time to lose, for there was no telling how long Kuwabara would last, or what his captors would do to him. With much haste, they reached the thirteenth level, and just like Yusuke and Hiei had, they met a demon; but it wasn't Inuyasha, it was Sesshoumaru himself.

Kurama: Forgive me for appearing rude, but have you seen Yusuke? We really must find him quickly.

Sesshoumaru: Yusuke? Yes, but only for a moment. Why do you ask, fox?

Kurama: There really is no time to fully explain, but I can tell you that we have a serious problem. One of the group has been captured by the dragons, and honestly--

Sesshoumaru: Dragons? (A spark of a strong emotion flashed through his eyes with this question.)

Kurama: Yes.

Sesshoumaru: Yusuke is at the castle. Tell Taisei to show you to it; he's the demon with the navy-hued hair.

Without another word, he once more walked off, leaving them there looking after his retreating form before they once again went on their way. It wasn't hard to find Taisei, for he was lounging on the grass in the fading sunlight, but the second he heard them coming, he rose; his hand automatically went to his stomach as his healing wound pulled, causing it to reopen only slightly.

Taisei: Do you want something?

Kyubi: Where's Yusuke?

Taisei: The detective? Most likely lost within the castle. Something is amiss; what is wrong and so urgent? You're clearly upset.

Kurama: No time; just show us the way.

They were swiftly shown the way to the castle, and after navigating the underground maze, they found themselves standing on what would have been the front lawn, were it not a meadow on the other side of the mountains. The castle was still underground, which still perplexed Kurama, but he had no intentions of wondering over this; Yusuke quickly came out, and after giving one look to the group, he sighed deeply.

Yusuke: It's Kuwabara, isn't it? What happened--no, let me guess. He was captured, right?

Kenta: Brilliant deduction, Detective. (Yusuke ignored the comment)

Yusuke: How? How can he get captured again? You'd think he'd know better after that whole Sensui thing, but no, he goes and becomes a prisoner again--

Kurama: Yusuke, this is hardly the time for a rant or rave. You do know that there's no telling what the dragons will do to him, right?

Yusuke: I was trying not to think of that…Want me to get Hiei?

_**…No need. I'd rather swallow the blade of my sword, and cut myself in half than follow that buffoon for being the same idiot twice. Your on your own for this one. Only if you're all near dying will I assist you…**_

Kurama: Apparently, that won't be necessary. But no matter, if we really need him, he'll show like he always does.

Kyubi: I suppose so, but I don't think I should go with you. I'll slow you down and interfere. Instead, I'll keep the search going for the gemstones…what do I do with them when I find them?

Kurama: If you insist, then take them to Koenma in the Spirit World when you find them. I'll give a message to Botan to stay with you in case you need help or run into another dragon. Oh, and if we don't need Hiei, you might; don't hesitate to ask him for help; he won't harm you for asking, but if you honestly need him, he'll assist you.

Yusuke: And if not, Kenyusa will. Now let's get going; I'd like Kuwabara to be in one piece when we get to him. (looks at Kenta) You'd better know where you're going when you lead us to him…

Kenta: Relax. Everything will be fine; trust me.

Kurama: _I'm not so sure it would be the best policy…_

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"How did things go?"

"Successfully captured, Hitairu."

"Splendid. And the others?"

"They set course to follow. Our whereabouts are still unknown to them, and they are on a blind rush with Kenta leading them."

"Well, it looks like everything is going according to his plans…though I simply hate doing this to them…"

"Aw, don't let it trouble you, man. We won't kill any of them unless we have to--"

"See to it that you don't. I may be working for a cold, heartless bastard, but that doesn't mean that we are one in the same."

"I got ya. Hands off the vitals. I just hope you know that unless someone dies, your father's gonna--"

"He **is not** my father."

"Okay, okay…I just hope you know what you're doing. What do you want us to do when they get here? Sesshoumaru and Hiei aren't coming."

"I thought as much. Now, listen Kentamaru; I want you to do something. When they arrive, send Yashira out to capture our second bait. Then, after Yusuke loses his senses, bring the third and fourth. Kurama wouldn't want his fox-girl hurt, so he will fight to his end. Just keep him occupied enough to snare Yukina, and Hiei will definitely come to us. (sigh) By then, Kurokasai will be at the castle, or in the demon world, and he and Sesshoumaru can have their fight…Understand?"

"I think I got it. After they're all here, Sesshoumaru'll run into Kurokasai, and it'll be up to the winner how things go from there--What about that other woman?"

"Who?"

"Kenyusa."

"Don't worry about her. Hiei can get rid of her when he moves to our side…I just hope all of this blows over before things get too out-of-control…"

Kentamaru left Hitairu to think, and as the black dragon stared into space, he unconsciously removed the bandages from around his neck, feeling the raw flesh from where Sesshoumaru had attacked his throat when they fought. He shook his head slightly, and ran a claw to touch his wound, feeling a drip of blood run down his neck as the tip grazed one of the unhealed areas. The dog-demon's poison had done a number on him, and with the effects making his wound remain opened, he knew that Kurokasai wasn't going to fare much better…but there was just something wrong with the way things were going. The feeling of this whole situation felt completely odd, and he knew there was something that he didn't know the whole truth to…and he had a pretty good clue. He never understood how that older dragon was able to manipulate him with threats of pain and death; no one else could come close to such things, because it just wasn't something that he was generally afraid of. So why was this time any different? He had no good basis for his assumptions, nor did he have any real clue, but something had been (and still was) pulling him toward that dungeon…and one day, he was going to find out why; he just had to wait for the right opportunity…

_I don't know what you're hiding from me, but I swear, when I find out what it is, I am going to blow your whole plan out of the water. I just hope I can find the power in time…I need more time, but it seems that time…it's just something that I don't have enough of. If only I could stop time and suspend the sands from the hourglass…I might be able to stop him…But I will, despite this dilemma-- I just don't quite know how…_

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And yet another end to a story's chapter. I hope everyone who reads liked this one, and I hope its better than the last. If not, I'll just have to try harder, then, huh?

Kumori Sakushaformerly known as Saelbu--(did I spell that or type that right? It is even your name??) Sorry I didn't acknowledge you before, but I'll double acknowledge you now. Thanks for reviewing, and thanks for reviewing again. I really do appreciate you for doing so!

Well, that's it for this, and remember people, REVIEW!


	4. Chapter 4

The clash of metal against metal rang loud through the meadows, and as the two weapons struck against one another; their wielders leapt backward, beginning to tire from their constant attempts to out-do each other.

Taisei: That'salright, Kenyusa; but you can do better.

Kenyusa: I don't see _you_ over here fighting him, Taisei.

Taisei: Well, Kenyusa; I'm not the one who needs to get stronger. Now move, female.Put all of your energy into your attacks, Hiei. You have to match her hit-for-hit, if you want to learn each other's patterns of movement.

Hiei: Fine.

He twirled his sword in his hand, making it so that the bladed side was now facing Kenyusa. Placing his hand against the dull side, he positioned himself to take her blow. She did much the same, but prepared to strike, and a smile crossed her face.

Kenyusa: You wanna play rough, huh? Alright, then-no more games.

She used speed equal to his own, but he anticipated such an attack, and blocked, holding her at an arm's distance as she tried to push him backward. The blades of their swords grated, creating something of a screech, but it was ignored as they had their focus on something completely different: the other's eyes. Kenyusa's green eyes locked onto Hiei's red ones, but she never eased her strength against him-he also refused to cut back on the power. Neither blinked, and their gazes never faltered, but a silent agreement was made none the less, and both leapt backward at the same time. They sheathed their swords and continued to face off, but now, they were more interested in testing the other's strength, rather than just sparring.

Hiei: You are strong, true; but your strength pales in comparison to mine.

Kenyusa: Well, Hiei, let's just let your body do the talking, hm?

Hiei: Hn.

It was now his turn to lunge. He sent a punch at her, which he knew she could easily block, but it was just a test-he wasn't going to give her his all just yet. She put up an arm, and stopped his punch cold, but the block left her stomach vulnerable; she never had been good with multiple moves at once. Instead, to keep him from hitting her, Kenyusa sent her own attack at his gut. She heard him give a tisking sound as he blocked her, but with the arm that he had initially attacked with, he threw down her block and backed away from her a step or two. She didn't know why he had put the distance between them until she felt a tingling trickle slipping down her cheek; reaching up to touch it, she found that it was blood, and looked at him confusedly-When had he attacked?

Kenyusa: How did you-

Hiei: If you can't see an attack coming, be careful when you block. It may be better to take a hit and then give another, than to block twice only to get hurt despite your action. It's called common sense-maybe you should try and get some.

In a blink, he was behind her, and from this position, grabbed her by the throat. He wouldn't choke her, but he would see what she would do in the situation-though, he already had a good clue of the action she would take, which is why he stood more to the side. Kenyusa felt Hiei's position from his energy, and elbowed him in the ribs to make him let go. He appeared before her again, looking at her with some unreadable expression-she hated it when she couldn't read him.

Kenyusa: What? Did I do something wrong? (She heard Hiei snort slightly at the question.) I guess not. Even though you don't play fair.

Taisei: Alright-Alright. That's enough for now; don't go killing each other on the first day. (Both Hiei and Kenyusa gave him a dirty side-glance, but he shrugged them off.) Hey, I'm giving you a break. Be thankful-I could do what Sesshoumaru would to you.

Kenyusa: Speaking of Sesshoumaru, where is he, anyway? (She also sat in the grass to relax, followed by Hiei, who did the same.)

Hiei: Hm. Come to think of it, he never came back, did he?

Taisei: Nope. And its starting to worry me-he's never done that before…But I guess its because he's going through some things now…

Kenyusa: Things? What kinds of things?

Taisei: Oh, you know-emotional things.

Hiei: He has emotions? You'd never guess…

Taisei: Yes, and he usually makes a good habit of keeping them hidden, but lately…With the dragons wanting to rage war and all, its like his past is coming back to haunt him.

Kenyusa: But I don't understand. What happened in his past to make the dragons want to fight against him?

Taisei: To be honest, I wasn't there. I was here, in the lesser areas of the Demon World. But I can say that the demons didn't always inhibit this place; aside from that, I really don't know what went on.

Hiei: Whatever it was, its got the dragons pissed…

Taisei: Oh, yes. They were quite upset at how things went on.

Kenyusa: I think I heard some of the elders of our world talking about it when I was really young. They said it had something to do with humans. Do you know about that?

Taisei: Now, that part, I overheard Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha arguing about once. The demons didn't always live here, like I said. They lived in the human's world, but that was a long while ago…Seems they had something to do with how demons all came here, but exactly how demons like my cousin got here is a mystery to me.

Kenyusa: Gee, you look more like twins or something... But, Taisei, there is one more question I've got…Do you know anything about these Gemstones the Dragons are after?

Taisei: Sorry. I don't know anything about those.

Hiei: But I do. Koenma just got finished showing us a documentary on them. The dragons are after them because they want to call the Ancient Dragons. I'm not sure for what, but I do know that they were scattered a long time ago, when the different realms and worlds were first created.

Kenyusa: Really? Wow…amazing…And all this time, I thought they'd just be random rocks that somehow got a power of an element…Or, you know; something stupid like that.

Taisei: Aren't you a dragon, Kenyusa?

Kenyusa: Yeah.

Taisei: Then do you know anything about Kuro and that whole mess?

Kenyusa: Aside from a lot of contradicting rumors, I don't know anything. They've never talked about it directly.

Taisei: I thought as much…Do you know where the others might have gone?

Kenyusa: You mean, where Kuwabara is held? I have no clue-everything's kinda shady there…But I do know that they've probably run into interference by now.

* * *

Yusuke: Kenta, you've led us around the same path twelve times. I know you're not lost, so what are you trying to pull?

Kenta: Oh, its not the same path-Everything just looks the same here, that's all.

Kurama: You lie. The scent of deceit is all over you.

Kenta: I-I- I don't know what you're talking about, Kurama. (Not much sooner than he said this, a loud, hissing roar echoed through the air. )

Yusuke: (getting ready to defend) I must wonder, why it is that I think you DO know what he's talking about...

Kurama: Oh, my…(draws his rose whip) It would seem as though we're surrounded. ( Kurama watched as Kenta's aura flared suddenly, engulfing him in a golden light. The aura of the dragon's eyes flared red, and he laughed-but another voice was blended with his own.)

Kenta: Yes, fox, it would seem that you are. Oh, but don't worry-you shouldn't live long enough to trouble your minds with it. Good luck…(He laughed again, and disappeared within his aura, leaving Kurama and Yusuke, literally, in the middle of nowhere. The loud hiss sounded again, and in the distance, they both saw several large, dark shadows drawing close to them. Yusuke had no clue as to what they were-Kurama recognized their scent.)

Kurama: Raptor Dragons…

Yusuke:Say what?

Kurama: Do you remember the creature that Hiei morphed into at the Dark Tournament?

Yusuke: Yeah;You mean that he was one of these things!

Kurama: Yes, so be cautious with your attack; we already know the damage they can do when they battle.

They now stood back-to-back, waiting for the dragons to come into close sight, but the monsters they saw looked nothing like what Hiei had…At least, not in color. True, they were all black in basic coloring, but each of them had stripes going horizontally along their backs like lightning bolts of an electric-blue hue. With eyes of either lavender or lime green, and claws of gold with extremely large fangs and sharp teeth of white, they were nothing to play around with. However, the real problem was the fact that there were literally hundreds moving toward them, and not one was smaller than twelve feet tall, and twenty feet long from head to tail tip. Each and every dragon had a murderous look in its eyes, and none of the glistening fangs looked appealing.

Yusuke: Okay, let's get them, before they get us.

Kurama: Uh, Yusuke-

He wasn't listening. Kurama just shook his head as Yusuke powered his energy and tried in vain to destroy several at once with his Shot Gun technique. Instead of falling from the blasts, the dragons that he had hit only became angrier at the two-the attack itself was deflected by the thick scales on their bodies, and evaporated on contact.

Yusuke: Damn…

Kurama: I thought as much. We aren't dealing with amateurs, Yusuke. No doubt they knew you were going to try that.

Yusuke: Okay, so we have to fight them one-on-one, I guess.

Kurama: I'd suppose. They're obviously stalling for time on whatever it is they're trying to do.

Yusuke: Well then, we'll have to figure that out after we're done fighting them. (he and Kurama leapt apart as one of the dragons made a lunge for them. From the impact it made on the ground with its claws, they both knew they would have to use extreme caution with this fight.) _Just hang in there, Kuwabara. We're coming for you; just you wait and see…_

* * *

The room developed slowly as his blurred vision cleared; though he couldn't tell where he was exactly, he did know that it felt damp, was dark, and he was laying on a very hard surface. Blinking rapidly, he tried to look around, but found that he couldn't really move any part of his body. A snorting sound reached his ears, and his eyes traveled upward, and right into a pair of golden-crimson orbs. The eyes above his own disappeared, and he felt himself being lifted up by the back of his shirt-he would have fought against it, but his hands were chained too tightly behind his back for his arms to move. A clawed finger poked him in the chest a couple of times, but it stopped as a voice from a far corner of the room reached their ears.

"My god; leave it alone. It's just a human."

"Well, yeah, but it's been so long since I've seen one up close-"

"So what? They're all the same, so drop it."

Kuwabara: I'm not an "it." The name's Kuwabara, and put me down! (the hand let go, and he hit the ground rather roughly.) You didn't have to drop me…

"Oh, sorry 'bout that." Even in the dim lighting, Kuwabara could tell thatthemale hadturned his head in the direction of the other voice, and the man walked toward the other, his hand raised as though he was about to snap his fingers. "Hey, _Sleeping Beauty, _can I shed some light on the subject?"

"Hn."

"I'll take that as a yes." He snapped his fingers, and the torches on the wall flared, casting the room into a golden-red light. "Now, what to do about you…Ah, I got it. Now, be really still, and you won't lose a hand." Kuwabara really had no time to react as a loud clang sounded from behind him, and the chains on his wrists were sliced apart. Rubbing his wrists to get the circulation back to his hands, Kuwabara got back to his feet, and turned around to face the two males behind him. His eyes widened as he saw the appearance of the one who had freed him.

Kuwabara: Whoa! You look just like Hiei does now!

The man he spoke of was about Kuwabara's height, and indeed, looked just like Hiei now did. His hair was long and ebony, but tied back behind him, in a ponytail that started midway down his back. His eyes were slightly smaller however, and were red, though they had more of a golden tint to them, rather than brown. His skin was much more pale, nearly white, and he seemed much more friendly than Hiei did. He wore black clothes, looking much like a kimono-styled shirt and regular pants; the sash around his waist was a deep burgundy, and hung down rather long in the front, like Kuwabara remembered seeing Sesshoumaru's.

"Hiei…Hiei…That name sounds so familiar…Well, I can assure you that I'm not him. My name is Ku-Kijou. Kijou. My name is Kijou."

Kuwabara: Kijou, huh? Okay, then who's the other guy?

Kijou: His name is Satsu. He doesn't like strangers.

Satsu: No, I don't like _humans._

He walked from the shadowed corner he had been hidden in, and instantly, Kuwabara got the instinct to back away from him. He was huge, and obviously a demon. His skin was a pale brown, and on that skin, there were several jagged, black stripes like those of a tiger. He wasn't wearing a shirt, but his pants were a bright white-surprising since he was being kept in a dungeon. He also wore a sash that hung down long in the front, and it was of a dark, emerald green, much like the long hair on his head. He had eyes like a cat, and they were no doubt a bright, flashing gold-the tips of his fangs hung from beneath his upper lip, and though his claws were retracted, Kuwabara knew they were there. Satsu also had a long tan tail like the tiger-demon he was, and it bore the same stripes that his arms and back did. As for his face, he had the black markings in the center of his forehead, but the green bangs in his face, which looked much like Sesshoumaru's, hid much of it.

Kuwabara: Satsu, huh? It kinda fits…

Satsu: Really now? (he lifted a hand, palm up, and produced his claws, which were long, sharp, and definitely looked like they could slice through Kuwabara in an instant.) I thought so, too…

Kijou: Now, Satsu…Don't go scaring him. He probably doesn't want any trouble from us, so just leave him be.

Kuwabara: All I wanna do, is find a way outta here.

Kijou: Well, sorry, but you won't be finding that. You can't break through these walls, or the security outside them, even if your life depends on it; and even though I'm sure it might, you can't leave.

Kuwabara: Well then…(he walked over and sat up against the wall) I guess I'd better get some sleep then. I'm gonna need rest if I'm gonna do the un-doable.

Satsu: Stupid humans…You'll kill yourself before you even make a scratch on that door. You think I would have been down here for the long time I have If there was a way to get out?

Kuwabara: Maybe you can't, but I'm getting outta here. If the guys aren't here by morning, I'm outta here one way or another.

Kijou: I like your attitude, but you'd better sleep on that before you do something foolish. I like your first idea better, and after you rest up, we'll see about getting you out of this dungeon...

* * *

Well, that's the end of one chapter, and when I can sneak back on, I'll update the rest. I'm so sorry for not updating for so long, but things happen...AOL is kinda acting up again, but don't fret-I haven't forgotten the story, and surprise, surprise: i'm working on another for a new friend of mine...He's a co-writer, though. 


	5. Chapter 5

Midnight had rolled around rather slowly, and by this time, Yusuke and Kurama were undoubtedly exhausted. Taking time out to enjoy a break beside a rapidly flowing river, Yusuke had fallen asleep; Kurama rested, but remained alert---there was no telling when the dragons would come back for another fight. He had just been thinking the exact same thoughts, when as if on cue, a loud roar echoed through the air toward them. He sat up in alert, and upon noticing that Yusuke had missed the sound, stood, and ventured forth to find and exterminate the creature before it could group with others. Picking his way through dense bits of forest and tangling underbrush, he appeared in a small clearing, and in doing so, he caught sight of the thing that had caused the roar. It was no Raptor Dragon. Before him, there was what looked to be a very large lake, having a cascade of waterfalls to one side of it, and tall, thick grasses around the bank of the water. From the looks, it supplied water to the river beside which Yusuke slept, and there was an odd glow about the surroundings…There was also an enormous Aqua Dragon emerging from the largest of the waterfalls, which made him back up a few paces into the trees to avoid being seen by the creature.

Large and the colors of the open sea, it appeared completely and slithered its way through the water to the grass around the lake, undoubtedly coming in Kurama's direction. The fox would have taken the chance to fight it, but he didn't have to---apparently, he wasn't the only one in danger. Up from the sea of grasses, a figure shot out, and landed away from the path of the beast approaching; the figure also caught the attention of the serpent dragon, and it changed course rather abruptly. To Kurama, this seemed to be a rather odd action for it to take, seeing as how it was so intent on going in his direction, but then he noticed something equally as odd. The figure that the dragon was turning to attack was one with a very human-like energy pattern.

'…**What is a human doing here, of all places…' **He thought silently to himself as he watched, but before his eyes, this human changed shape and appearance. From the distance he had, he could still see the silhouette of the being, and as a bright ray of moonlight suddenly shone down over it, Kurama noticed that it was also a woman. **'Odd…' **He kept his distance, but also his focus, and before his eyes as well as the approaching dragon, she morphed, not into a beast, but a beautiful Moon Spirit, and one with a powerful aura. He didn't have to be close to tell that the woman was powerful, and just as the dragon came within her striking range, she extended a palm toward it, and a blast of white light was all that it took to disintegrate the creature. **"…but impressive…"**

As if hearing his thoughts, she turned to him, and just as she disappeared from his sights, he felt a presence behind him, and stood slowly, to turn and look at her. A cold wind blew between them, and as he focused on her pale skin and cold eyes, his own green orbs filled with shock. Her hair was long and black, but the look it gave to her features was far to familiar to be coincidence; her narrow eyes were sharp, and like ice, but the azure coloring was far more than enough to give her true identity away…But still, he had to be sure…

Kurama: Who are you?

: My name is Satsuki.

Her voice was angelic, and calm, but it held a hidden harsh tone that Kurama pin-pointed automatically. He took a step backward from her, and made a note to register her scent. Sure enough, she was exactly whom he had thought her to be, and he couldn't hide the slightest of frowns. His change of attitude, however, only made her smile, and as she did so, he saw two fangs appear, growing from where they previously weren't. Her skin went from white to a creamy complexion, and her eyes even lightened a shade, going from sky blue to very pale, almost having no color at all. Her hair gained blue streaks, and in the front, grew longer. On her back, large, dragonic wings emerged, and after she stretched them, she folded them back; she also grew a black tail, and silver claws. Kurama couldn't believe his eyes, and though he hid his astonishment, he couldn't deny the fact that he was surprised and confused. Satsuki's smile left, and as she pulled the long hair in front of her face behind one of her ears, shorter blue strands fell free before her eyes.

Satsuki: So, I'd suppose that you know who I am, hmm?

Kurama: Unfortunately.

Satsuki: Yeah, well…Don't get my father wrong; it's just that he has control issues.

Kurama: Your father…Hitairu…You do know what's going on, don't you?

Satsuki: Sadly, yes. He wants the stones…(she reached out, and grasped the emerald around Kurama's neck, but he quickly pushed her hand away.)

Kurama: I know that.

Satsuki: Then you should also know that he only wants them to protect someone. It's Grandfather that wants them to destroy your kind.

Kurama: Demons?

Satsuki: (nods) As well as humans…But that doesn't explain why you are here.

Kurama: One of his dragonesses captured our comrade. We came to take him back.

Satsuki: We?

Just as she said it, Yusuke came through the trees toward them, having tracked down Kurama to find where he had gone. Satsuki looked at Yusuke, and closed her eyes, smiling slightly as she shook her head. Her pale irises met Yusuke's perplexed brown eyes, and she made a small tisking sound.

Satsuki: Oh, I see. You're worried for your friend…I must ask, can you find it in your heart to trust the daughter of your enemy?

Yusuke: Daughter! What'd I miss…?

Kurama: Nothing really. But, Satsuki, can you take us to him?

Satsuki: Your friend? Sure. I know where he's being kept, but I hope you don't mind another tag-along…

Kurama: Who?

Satsuki: A woman named Hisaka…She is also looking for someone. Come. I'll take you to her, and we'll be off. (She walked away, and Kurama immediately followed, but he felt a tug, and hung back a step or two to talk to Yusuke, who lagged uncertainly. )

Yusuke: Are you sure we can trust her? And who's daughter is she?

Kurama: Yes, I'd believe so, and her father is Hitairu…Apparently, he wants the gemstones, but it's not because he's being controlled by his father…but something just doesn't click…

Yusuke: I agree. Let's ditch her, and go on our own.

Kurama: No, that's not what I meant…Nevermind.

Yusuke: Whatever…

* * *

The daylight had faded rapidly, leaving the lands around the castle in a cloak of darkness, and faint moonlight. Hours had passed since Hiei and Kenyusa found themselves fighting each other, and now, they were resting in the main room with Taisei and Abunai; Inuyasha had left his daughter with them for the night and gone home---she was currently playing with a toy of some kind on the floor. Kenyusa watched her wistfully, and Hiei was silently and absently watching her as well; Taisei was reading a book he had snatched from Sesshoumaru's room, and Abunai played with her hair…All of them wondered where the white-haired demon lord had run off to., when Abunai broke the silence.

Abunai: You think he's alright?

Taisei: (looks over the top of his book) What are you talking about?

Abunai: Sesshoumaru…He never came back.

Kenyusa: He seems pretty strong. I think he can take care of himself; relax, Abunai.

Taisei: Yes, woman. Calm down; there isn't an opponent alive that my cousin can't destroy and come out of it unscathed.

Hiei:…Are you positive about that?

Taisei: What do you mean?

Hiei: Before he left…He had an open wound on his arm near his shoulder, where the flesh had been torn away and his muscle ripped. I doubt that you can consider that unscathed…

Taisei gave him a scowl, but Kenyusa suddenly felt a change in Hiei's energy, and became worried. His voice had changed tone from the usual way he spoke his words, and he spoke them more slowly…What was wrong with him?

Abunai: You really think that, Hiei?

Hiei: I say what I mean…

Kenyusa: Hiei…What's wrong with you?

Hiei cast her a side glance, and as he did so, he stood, and walked out of the room. Going down the hallway, the torches lit as he passed, illuminating his way, and the first window he found, he leapt through, landing on an area of thick grass beneath it. After he stood straight, he looked around, and ran off, not realizing he was going in the same direction Sesshoumaru had gone before him.

'_**Something's calling me…But what? Why now?'**_

He kept running, not knowing where he was going, but knowing that the direction was right. He felt a tugging in the pit of his stomach, and it made him uneasy as he swiftly picked through unfamiliar forests. Things were deathly silent, and the only sounds were those of the crunching underbrush that he ran over; this also troubled him some, but still, he ran on, trying to ignore is instincts to go back the way he had come…but soon enough, he realized that he should have followed his first impulse. A person dropped from the trees in front of him, causing Hiei to halt abruptly--it could very well have been the last person that he really wanted to see.

Hitairu: Hiei?

Hiei: Hitairu…What are you doing here? Why are you in the Demon World?

Hitairu: It would do nicely for you to speak a slight bit lower; I don't want him to hear you…

Hiei: Talk straight.

Hitairu: Listen, I'm not here because I want to be.

Hiei: You want a fight, then? When Sesshoumaru finds you in his territory--

Hitairu: He won't. He went after someone else, which is why I am here, rather in that dog-demon's path. (Hiei's tense stance shifted, and he seemed to relax slightly at the low tone of Hitairu's voice--it reflected in his words.)

Hiei: So you're hiding? Not from Sesshoumaru, I'd hope.

Hitairu: Possibly. I hear he has a nasty disposition toward dragons. (He closed his eyes and shook his head briefly.) However, he isn't my main concern…Kuro is.

Hiei: Your father? Why?

Hitairu: He's trying to use me to get the Gemstones from you…He controls me, you know that.

Hiei: You make it painfully obvious. But just for the record, what side are you on--His, or ours?

Hitairu: I'm on no side. I just want my freedom.

Sesshoumaru: Freedom…my, that sounds familiar.

They turned to see Sesshoumaru leaning against one of the trees close to the forest path. His arms were crossed and his eyes closed, but it was clear that he had been standing there for some time--the tone of his voice gave it away. Hitairu backed slightly away from Sesshoumaru, and at this, his golden eyes opened slowly, and though the look on his face never really changed, there was something more dangerous and more lethal about the look in those golden eyes. His arms dropped, and he approached the retreating dragon, ignoring Hiei's presence altogether.

Hitairu: Sesshoumaru…I--

Sesshoumaru: Leave. (Hitairu shook his head.)

Hitairu: I cannot. (He was met with narrowing eyes, and his heart jumped as a chill washed through his stomach. But he hid his fear, and only shook his head again, knowing that he was going to be told to leave again.)

Sesshoumaru: So you choose to defy me. (The claws on his right hand began to glow a bright green.) Very well, then. I will force you to go.

Hitairu: No. I have too much to lose, to just turn and run from you. If it is what you want, (his hand clutched the hilt of his sword) then I will fight you, here, and now.

Sesshoumaru studied Hitairu for a moment, before making something of a tisking sound, and casting the glow in his hand away. Hitairu seemed perplexed for a moment, but after a minute of hesitation, he took his hand from his sword--apparently, it wasn't a trick.

Hitairu: You could have killed me just now. Why did you refrain, Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru: A victory is senseless if honor is lost. One of you has the appearance…(he looked at Hiei through the corner of his eyes)…but you, dragon, have the voice. I will not do battle against the son of my ally---Not when the two souls are one. You will understand.

He turned and walked away from them, leaving both Hiei and Hitairu perplexed as to what he meant. Hiei just shook his head and let the thought drop--he wasn't going to ponder over it, but Hitairu kept trying to find the rhyme and reason to what Sesshoumaru meant. He said it over and over in his mind, trying to figure it out, but couldn't. Instead of frustrating himself with it, he was suddenly reminded of the reason he was there, and turned back to Hiei.

Hitairu: I would love to finish our chat, but I have elsewhere to be. I'd suppose you do as well, otherwise you wouldn't be here.

They split ways, and Hiei started to follow the path again, just as Hitairu sped off in the opposite direction. Something bugged him worse now, and he began to be annoyed by it. What was it that was panging him so much, and why was it now, all of a sudden, doing that? Something somewhere wasn't right, and he was about to find out what it was…

* * *

Kijou: It's never gonna work. (He winced as Kuwabara rammed the door again) You're gonna break something that way…

Kuwabara slid down the metallic surface of the door, and sat on the ground. Turning, he leaned his back against it, and looked up at the high ceiling of the dungeon. He thought for a while, and tried to catch a feeling of the others' energy, but he found none, and got no ideas; sighing heavily, he turned his attention to the tiger demon lying on the floor in the shadowed corner, and scowled slightly.

Kuwabara: You know, it may be easier if you just help me. (Two bright, golden-hazel eyes glowed though the dark.)

Satsu: I would, were it not pointless. I am not about to assist an asinine mortal in his futile attempts to break through a reinforced-steel-dragonic door.

Kuwabara: A what-kinda door?

Kijou: Reinforced-steel-dragonic. It's backed by dragonic energy, and a strong barrier; it's also made from this kinda stuff. (he lifted his tail, and pointed to the blades) Go ahead, give 'em a knock or two.

Kuwabara rapped on the upper blade with his knuckles, resulting in a dull ring that echoed through the room. Satsu growled and covered his ears, rolling over to turn his back to them and mumbling while doing so; Kuwabara gave a low whistle, and Kijou lowered his tail, before backing up to sit against the wall.

Kijou: Yeah, it's some durable stuff. (he reached beside him, and picked up a black sheath. Laying it on the ground, he pulled out a golden-bladed sword, and in the hilt, shone a large, beautiful sapphire.) Kuwabara, you see this sword? It's made of the same material.

Kuwabara: Wow…I'd like to see the guy who made that thing…

Kijou: You already have--I'm right here.

Kuwabara: YOU made that? No way!

Kijou: Oh, yeah. Before I came in here, I made swords for the best of them--demons AND dragons alike.

Kuwabara: You must'a been pretty good. Looks kinda heavy though.

Kijou: Well, I'd give you a feel, but you'd get a bit of a nasty shock--your energy would mess with that of the sapphire--

Kuwabara: Hey, is that a Gemstone? You know, one of the Legendary kind?

Kijou: Ssshhh. Keep it down, or you'll blow the secret. Actually, it is, and it's part of the reason I'm being kept here. The Grouch over there's got one too, but they don't know where. (He grinned, and a fang glittered--Kuwabara took the hint)

Kuwabara: Oohhh…But, how would you use one if its there?

Kijou: Well, luckily it's the Pearl, but I'm not quite sure what it's suppose to do…(he shrugged) Oh well; I guess he'll use it if need be.

A thick silence passed between them while Kijou pondered over something, and Kuwabara wondered when the others were going to show, but a deep, purring sound snapped them both from their thoughts, and Kijou sweat-dropped.

Kijou: Cats…Living in a dungeon with a tiger wouldn't be so bad…if he wouldn't purr in his sleep…

Kuwabara: I guess…I love cats, so don't get me wrong, but…something about that one…

Kijou: I know what you mean…Hey, remember when you said I looked like someone named Hiei?

Kuwabara: Yeah. So what?

Kijou: Can you tell me some more about him?

* * *

And she's BACK! Finally, I got AOL to connect! Thank the gods! Alrighty, I know I took forever, but I'm back now, and I'll try to update again REALLY soon, since school is drawing to a close.

zee: Glad you reviewed, and it's been a long time since I heard from you…probably because it took me so long to update, but whatever…Sorry for such a delay, but stuff happens. Well, thanks for the review, and I hope to hear from you again. See Ya!


	6. Chapter 6

Hisaka: What the hell are two half-demons doing here?

Needless to say, Hisaka wasn't happy to see Yusuke and Kurama in the least. The second they emerged into another clearing, she leapt to her feet with a glare that would have made Hiei angry of her skills…even if he were angry at the time. At her sudden burst of rage, Kurama had the instinctual impulse to back away from her--tiger demons were one of his more natural enemies, and he had no desire to aggravate this one. Her hair wasn't too long, and barely reached below her shoulders; the locks were of a deep golden, and quite wavy. Her eyes were pale violet, and her skin quite pallid, but on that skin she had the markings of the animal she was; they were etched a dark brown, and in addition, she had the respectable ears, as well as the tail.

Satsuki: Calm down, Hisaka. They are here to find someone they lost; may I remind you that you are with me for the same reason?

Hisaka: No, you can't…But whatever. Just keep them away from me… (she turned around and leapt high, taking her perch in the branches of a nearby magnolia tree. Her glare pierced down on them for a moment, before she balanced on her side, and fell back into a light sleep.)

Satsuki: I'm sorry for her behavior…(she sighed, before turning to face Yusuke and Kurama) But she had a harsh encounter with a half-demon, long ago. She hasn't forgiven him, or the breed, ever since.

Yusuke: No problem. I'm used to it by now, but old-foxy over here--

Kurama: You may keep my situation out of your conversation, Yusuke. It's really none of her business. (he made a head-gesture toward Hisaka, and Yusuke let it click before he gave a nod and took a seat.)

Satsuki: So…Kurama, was it? (he nodded) Who exactly are you looking for?

Kurama: A friend. (As he began to speak, he took his own seat on the grass across from her and beside Yusuke, who seemed put-off by the fact that she requested the information in the first place.)

Satsuki: Is he unwelcome in our world? Like a human, perhaps?

Kurama: Yes, in fact he is…We had hoped to make haste in finding him, but alas…

Satsuki: Kenta ran off on you, huh?

Yusuke: How'd you know! (he paused, untrustingly.) You aren't gonna do the same thing, are you? How do you even know him?

Satsuki: Calm down…Yusuke, I believe? (he grunted in reply) There are few black dragons alive today. I know nearly all of them, except for this new half-dragon…

Kurama: You mean Hiei? Well, I'd doubt that anyone really knows him yet…

Satsuki: I suppose. I haven't gotten the opportunity to meet him yet, but a friend of mine has.

Kurama: Your friend wouldn't happen to have violet hair and very bright eyes, would she?

Satsuki: Kenyusa? Yeah; how'd you know her?

Kurama: Well, she rather joined our as of late. She should be back at the castle…but that's a very long story, actually.

Satsuki: Really now…In the Demon World? How could she have gotten there? Lord Koenma usually keeps strict patrol on the creatures that pass through the barriers; even if he only controls one level of Demon World, he should be able to keep dragons out…

Kurama: Yes…but she had a special pass. You see--

Yusuke: I HATE to interrupt, but you completely ignored my question, woman.

Satsuki: My name is Satsuki, not "woman," and I answered both the questions of _"You aren't gonna do the same thing, are you" _and _"How do you know him anyway." _You asked nothing else, Yusuke.

Yusuke: You knew what I meant…

Satsuki: But its not what you asked. Now, as to verify what you MEANT, you'll have to hunt down my grandfather. I don't know why he would have, nor _how_ Kenta suddenly turned on you…You don't have to trust him again, but if you want, go ahead. I've known him for years, and I can vouch for the fact that he's trustworthy, as long as someone else isn't playing with his mind.

She smiled sweetly; an action that made Yusuke turn away from her in a bit of a huff. Kurama stifled a bit of a chuckle at the scene playing out before himself before returning to the conversation they were having; Yusuke tuned them out, but eventually moved to lay in the grass before dozing slightly. Hisaka, who had snapped awake near the beginning of the conversation, continued to listen silently as she pretended to remain asleep. All in all, it was useless information to her, but none the less, she was waiting for them to get to something useful, such as the location of the canine half-demon who doubled as her sworn mortal enemy…

* * *

"What are you doing here, woman?"

The lazy voice startled her as she made her way through the forests, following the trail that she knew Hiei had taken. What she didn't know, however, was that Sesshoumaru had never left the area in which he had confronted the dragon…Now, he was doing the same to another.

Kenyusa: I-I…I was…um…uh… (she heard him sigh heavily…or rather, what she considered heavily for him. His gaze shone down on her from the branch upon which he was resting)

Sesshoumaru: Hiei followed the trail ahead of you, heading back toward the Dragonic Realm…If you catch him, perhaps you can stop him from doing something foolish.

Kenyusa: Foolish? Hmm…(she paused, suddenly noticing that he seemed to be thinking distantly about something) Sesshoumaru?

Sesshoumaru's gaze returned to her, having momentarily turned back to the sky above them, and once again, just like when she had first arrived to meet him, she felt nervous and self-conscious under the pressure of those sharp golden eyes. She could only imagine what it was like to be forced down under his ruthless stare, and had no intention of doing so in her current position; she looked away, and he took his eyes from her, once more focusing to trace the many constellations that dotted the sky under the façade of imageless and random stars. Why he was so intent upon the stars, she didn't know, but she found the courage to voice her original question, nonetheless.

Kenyusa: Uh…(the gaze returned) Has Koenma told you about my…um…secret?

Sesshoumaru: That would depend upon which one.

Kenyusa: …So he's told you more than one?

Sesshoumaru: Yes. Both of your heritage as well as your escapades during the tournament.

Kenyusa: Oh…

Sesshoumaru: Why do you ask me of these things? In truth, they both seem rather pointless situations. What are you avoiding?

Kenyusa: Well, I was wondering…

Sesshoumaru: Your stalling grows tiresome. Speak your inquiry, or leave my presence.

Kenyusa: Can I ask you a question?

Sesshoumaru: If you must ask one to propose another, expect no answer.

Kenyusa: …Okay…

She took this as a sign to ask anyway, though she knew someone else would have just stopped talking and walked away by then. She forced her eyes to leave the ground, and make steady contact with the orbs shimmering down at her with something akin to dislike and annoyance. She'd better make this quick, then, she thought silently.

Kenyusa: …What happened five hundred years ago? (she hesitated) You know, between Humans and Demons?

His gaze, if possible, became all the more fierce, and his eyebrows drew closer, creating a scowl that she nearly backed away from and ran. However, a wave of a chill coursed her spine at the look he was giving her, and she knew that she wasn't going to run, not of courage, but the fear rooting her to the soft ground. Another chill met her, and she shuddered, not doubting that Sesshoumaru could smell the fear radiate from her body with his keen senses; his glare became even more cruel, and she shuddered violently, taking an involuntary step backward as she did so. The contact never broke between their eyes, and the question, she thought, had been long since forgotten as he studied him from above her, but to her surprise, he gave his reply, which startled her even more as it suddenly broke through the silence like a stone through glass.

Sesshoumaru: …Fear.

The word was strong, and obviously doubly meant with the tone and the current situation; Kenyusa hid a blush of embarrassment at the way he looked at her, and she turned away, suddenly finding the dead leaves around her oddly fascinating. Suddenly, the heat of his eyes on her form lifted, and she looked back upward at him only briefly. A gentle breeze caused his snowy hair to waft about his body like an aura of purity, and as the moonlight began to peek its way through the tops of the trees with the slow movement of clouds, she felt the intimidating energy he emitted increase tenfold; she pried herself away from the sight and muttered an awed "thank you" to him, which she suspected he hadn't even heard as she went on her way…

But golden eyes watched her disappearing form as he basked in the moonlight, his injury vanishing completely, and his left arm glowing white with acquired power; he sighed softly to himself, and placed his head back against the tree where it was before he heard her approach. His eyes remained on the newly-uncovered moon as his mind swam with many thoughts, all of which, were jerking him right back into the past that he had tried so long to forget.

"_So much like Rin…"_ he thought without even knowing he spoke the words softly, _"Perhaps she's also clever enough to decipher a well-kept secret of my own…"_

* * *

He sat back against the wall after hearing the details of the explanations, not even really noticing that he'd leaned forward to listen in the first place; he now seemed rather thoughtful to Kuwabara, and he let the man enjoy his silence. Satsu had long since awaken, and had also listened in on some of the stories about the adventures that the human's team had been on, but something about the stories didn't place correctly in his mind.

Satsu: As much as it pains me to be interested in the first place, I just have to ask…Why in the hell does Hiei even bother to keep near you in the first place? Is he not relieved of the blame for stealing the sword that brought him and Yusuke together?

Kuwabara: He did have to participate in the tournament, you know.

Satsu: But why not leave afterward? If he's really as hateful as you claim, then there's no reason for him to be around people he can't stand, right?

Kijou: No…I don't think that's the case at all… From what I gather, Hiei is--or rather--was the only full-blooded creature among you. At first his pride wouldn't let him admit that there was a friendship between you, and later, the coldness became a habit.

Satsu: How would you know? You've never met him.

Kijou: No, but I have you as a prime example. Besides…I used to know someone else who was the same way, more or less. But alas, he's probably long dead now. Sad really; we were almost friends in addition to being allies.

Satsu: You mean that Dog Demon you've told me about? Gee…Doesn't sound like he could ever die; not the way you described him, anyway.

Kijou: I know, but…With my luck and all…

Kuwabara: Wait a minute. Dog Demon? Was the guy's name Sesshoumaru?

Kijou: Yeah. You've heard of him?

Kuwabara: He fought against Yusuke and Hiei at the last Dark Tournament!

Kijou: You're kidding…(he suddenly leaned forward again) Tell me, what did he look like?

Kuwabara: Well, he was tall, and pallid, but he had white hair, and a purplish-blue moon on his forehead. He wore pretty much white, but they looked like human clothes…I kinda thought he was ancient, since he's over five hundred years old, but he didn't look older than twenty-five, or something around that…

Kijou: (sitting back) Yep. That's ol' Fluffy for you…Oh, but don't tell him I called him that. You see, he used to wear this really big pelt on his shoulder, and it was a nickname that popped into my head. Of course, he nearly killed me when I accidentally said it out loud, of course, but I couldn't blame him. He still have a half-brother?

Kuwabara: Inuyasha? Yep, he was there too.

Satsu: Inuyasha…(he growled deeply, but seemingly unconsciously) I'll kill that mutt if I ever get my claws on him…

Kijou: Satsu? What's wrong? Why are you suddenly acting like that; did something happen between you two that was really that bad?

Satsu: He harmed someone very near to me. I was looking for him, when I was first captured; his brother had friends among the Dragons at the time, and I went in search to see if I could get a location on the half-breed…

Kijou: Oh…No wonder you hate half-demons so much.

Kuwabara: Hey, not _all _half-demons are bad, you know.

Kijou: Don't encourage his temper. If he thinks you're protecting Inuyasha, I'll never be able to keep him from ingesting you. He holds grudges, and they keep strong; don't waste your breath on an argument.

Kuwabara: Doesn't matter. If he so much as touches a hair on my friends when they get here--

Satsu: Unless one of those friends is Inuyasha, you have absolutely nothing to worry for. Just know that I'll let nothing stand in my way of avenging my son, be it you, Sesshoumaru, or Lord Koenma himself. Keep that in mind, and change your topic, if you please. I have too much to think about as it is…

And with this, he turned away from them, moving to once again, lay on his side. He would have been content with sleep, were it dreamless, but as it was not, he knew he was going to be awake, and mulling over this new information for quite some time…

* * *

Short, sweet, to the point, and slower than molasses in an Antarctic igloo. Sorry it took me so long, but I…hate to say, but I simply forgot about this one. I was writing other stories, when I got an idea that just clicked into place with the plot. Hopefully, the next one will be longer, and come sooner, but with circumstances about which I can't really use as excuses, please, no one get their hopes up... 


	7. Chapter 7

Its been quite a while, and since I don't wanna get sued… I don't own Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho. Everything else, however, is mine.

* * *

He felt it, and he smelt it…But he couldn't find her anywhere. She was there in the forests somewhere, and he knew she hadn't gone through the portal to the Dragonic Realm. Since the near-peace had come between the different worlds, he had had no opportunity to right what he knew she would consider a wrong, nor had he the chance to clear his name with the other tiger he knew would be after his neck over what happened in the past…But he knew it wasn't his fault, nor was it his problem. No, he wasn't going to apologize; just finish what had been started so that he didn't have one more thing to hang over his head. As he was looking, however, he came across Sesshoumaru, who seemed to be regaining his strength; judging by the blood that had dried on his shirt, he guessed the wound from the dragon's attack hadn't closed, and the moonlight was going to be the only way to fix that…Not that he thought Sesshoumaru should mind the inconvenience; it was bad enough to have only one good arm, and there couldn't be any chances taken. At least, not since he slaughtered the woman who had given him the replacement anyway. 

While his mind was jumping topic, his brother was faintly starting to notice his presence; with his senses so dulled with the hateful fatigue he felt, the full-demon couldn't help but be grateful to fate that he and Inuyasha were on the same side. Had this been only a few centuries ago, he hated the realization that he would have been killed on the spot…But this was no time to dwell in the past. He had enough problems in the present, as it was. There was another war coming closer, and the Dragons were keen on finishing what they had started--or rather--forcing a rematch for the battle that they had lost. Either way, if it was enough to worry Koenma, it was going to be a real problem…Amazingly how he ended up being the first demon the man could call. He loved to fight as much as the next demon, as it was in his blood, but this senselessness was going too far--he loathed the stupidity of the last war, and had no real intentions of submitting to such asininity again. He felt himself being watched, far too closely to be comfortable, and he looked down, to meet Inuyasha's golden irises with his own; such a spark they held…A spark that he hadn't seen for quite some time…

Inuyasha: Wassamatter, Sesshoumaru; too old to heal on your own?

Sesshoumaru: What do you want? Surely you didn't come this deep into the forest to aggravate me, hmm?

Inuyasha: Since everybody else seems to wanna come this way, I kinda wondered where the party was.

Sesshoumaru: I don't know, so why don't you go and find it?

Inuyasha: Are you that eager to get rid of me?

Sesshoumaru: Does the word 'bye' answer your question?

Inuyasha: Fine, I'll be serious.

Sesshoumaru: Tch…

Inuyasha: Look, you can scoff till you choke, but before you do that, tell me; have you seen her around here? I know you know who I mean, Sesshoumaru, so don't even think of playing stupid.

Sesshoumaru: Hn.

Inuyasha: Answer me! I won't leave until you stop ignoring me.

Sesshoumaru: …No.

Inuyasha: No, what? You haven't seen her, or No, you want me to give you another wound to have to heal up before you talk.

Sesshoumaru: Take your answer as the former, little brother; either way, you will keep me out of your affairs. What goes on between you and that emerald-tigress is your issue. Not mine.

Inuyasha: I know that…But would it kill you to be helpful, only because the kindness of your heart?

Sesshoumaru: …I have no heart. Your point is rather irrelevant. Now leave.

Inuyasha: I know, but you don't have to be so cruel. Besides, you know as well as I do that there's some dirty work going on around here, and that half-dragon is going to end up in the middle of it sooner than need be.

Sesshoumaru: It has nothing to do with me, therefore, its not my problem.

Inuyasha: Why can you care for no one but yourself?

Sesshoumaru: Since when did the same not apply to you as well? You never were one to have your heart bleed for a stranger; do not expect me to change in the same way, _dear brother._ (These last words were spat with a seemingly forgotten venom that Inuyasha hadn't heard or felt the sting of in quite some time. As a reflex, he brought his hand to the hilt of his sword, but stopped, as Sesshoumaru became only more infuriating.)

Sesshoumaru: Are you going to kill me, Inuyasha? (he taunted, dropping from his branch as he did so. Golden eyes pierced down into near-exact replicas of themselves, and their owner took a step backward, a scowl on his face.)

Inuyasha: Look, Sesshoumaru…You may want to go through life like an evil bastard, but that's not the life for me. I've got a kid to think about, and I'm not about to influence her the wrong way by murdering her uncle. You do as you please, but I'm going to hunt down that snake-in-the-grass that calls himself a dragon and make sure everyone else knows what he's all about. See ya 'round.

He let his hand drop from his sword, and brushed past Sesshoumaru, gaining a frown of displeasure as he did so. Right now, however, he didn't care; he only wanted to make sure things didn't have time to go beyond the breaking point. Should the Dragon's attack, there was no doubt in his mind that the true blame would go back to the humans, and that was the last thing he needed. The fact that it was simply the right thing to do was only a plus, but he had to make sure nothing happened to the Human World; after all that happened in the past, another war, he knew, would be too much for Kagome to take…They had lost enough the first time. He ignored the feeling of eyes at his back; the shivers up his spine would only come if he were being watched by his elder brother, and it seemed, that old habits died hard. The uneasiness was a constant reminder of the less-than-pleasant past the two shared…and that too, he was willing to put behind himself--

"_For good," _he kept reminding himself, _"For the good of the people he can harm…I have to keep the past away from my future."_

If only he'd known how hard that was going to be…

* * *

Yusuke: How much further do we have to go before something looks different? 

Satsuki: Do you consider complete darkness to be different?

Yusuke: …Yeah…

Satsuki: Good, because its all you're going to be seeing after I bludgeon your head with a rock.

During much of the verbal attack the two were bestowing upon each other, Kurama had remained silent, simply ignoring them. Hisaka, so seemingly fiery before, was also in a deep silence, but seemed more subdued than before. Claiming to be uneasy while simply doing nothing, she insisted that they get back on the move; he didn't dare say a word, but he knew she was afraid of something. Assuming her fear hadn't been caused by the dark, he thought it had something to do with a familiar scant coming toward them…But he didn't remember who, or what it was exactly; only that it was very strong, and rather nagging. However, he was forced to stop pondering this; the small battle before him was starting to grow out of control.

Yusuke: Such a bitch…

Satsuki: Better than a jackass.

Yusuke: Whore.

Satsuki: Asshole.

Kurama: Will you two please stop that. You're acting like children, and as its obvious that the both of you most certainly _are not, _then get along until we reach our destination.

A unanimous 'whatever' reached his ears, and he sighed softly, not really pleased, as there was a thick, electricity going between the two as they silently glared at each other, but still, it was silent, and that, currently, was the only thing he found to be grateful for. However, there was one thing on his mind: the tigress walking silently behind them, her head down, and her focus on the ground as they continued. Something about her eyes was rather different, and he would have thought her depressed, were her scent not focused around pure rage; waves of invisible currents radiated from her body, and she was positively mad…But about what?

Kurama: I hope you don't think me rude…But what ails you, Hisaka? (She looked up, a frown on her face and a glare in her eyes. They seemed to have changed their color, and were now a very pale lavender-blue.)

Hisaka: Why bother ask? You wouldn't understand; leave me be, fox.

Kurama: Very well…But if you please, get over whatever it is that frightens you; the scent is overwhelming.

With his statement, she looked up completely, a mixture of anger and embarrassment in her eyes as she did so; a faint blush crept up her face as she looked away, and she began to mumble something. Apparently, she knew that Kurama couldn't hear her; her words became louder.

Hisaka: Its obvious that I make you uncomfortable, so just leave me alone. I don't want to have to hurt you too.

Kurama: I'm sorry; I don't quite understand.

Hisaka: Because of what the half-demon did in the past, I've held a rather fatal grudge against all who aren't of pure blood; from anger, I've killed many, and though I know it was wrong, I couldn't control myself. Not after…

Kurama: After? (he knew it wasn't right to press, but he couldn't help but find himself interested. Perhaps the Gemstones would come up…)

Hisaka: …After my mate was captured. When it was a dragon that took him prisoner, I knew that what I'd been doing was wrong; no matter how many half-breeds I killed, it wasn't going to bring Taoru back.

Kurama: Taoru? Is he your mate?

Hisaka: No, my son. In the aftermath of the war, there were still many disputes over land and such. He was one of those killed in the process. My mate went on a rampage, and left the territory he himself had claimed; a dragon found him and planned to use him on enemy sides to run demons back to the Human World. When he refused, however, he was locked away. I haven't seen him since then…It was nearly four-hundred years ago.

Kurama: Four-Hundred years? My goodness…And still you search?

Hisaka: I know it seems pointless, but I've been searching since the day he disappeared. Our clan has long since vanished, and seeing as how I haven't anywhere else to go, I also haven't a choice in the matter…Now please, leave me alone. I don't wish to discuss it further.

Kurama: Forgive the term, but I understand. I ask of nothing else from you.

Of course, he knew he would never truly understand such things…No, he had no mate to lose. But four-hundred years? It seemed unbelievable to keep searching for someone for so long, loved one or not…

"_Oh well…" _he thought, _"I suppose if you love someone as much as she does him, you'll do anything to keep hope that your loved one is alive, even if it does mean searching the far-corners of the Earth and even other realms to do so. …It must be nice…"_

He thought nothing more of the subject. Instead, he opted to walk along in a comfortable silence. Of course, it wasn't too much of a silence, as Yusuke and Satsuki began to argue again, but at least it took his mind off things, even though his subconscious was far from willing to let go of certain thoughts. He _did _wonder how Kyubi was doing with her Gem-Hunting, after all…

At least, that was the story he was going to stick to…

* * *

Kenyusa: Hiei! Come on, where are you! 

Still, she couldn't find him anywhere. She knew he'd come this way, for she felt his energy pattern in the forest, but why could she not find him anywhere? How far could he have gone in so little time? Answers failed to come, both to her questioning thoughts as well as her outcries of his name, and she sighed as she stopped, to take a seat on the trunk of a fallen tree. It was well into the night, and she didn't know what had compelled her to come this deep into the forest in the first place, but suddenly, she was beginning to regret ever leaving the castle. There was no way she'd find her way back in this darkness, and it was the darkness itself that she feared the most. So much had happened in the darkness…All of it, she'd rather forget.

She put her head in her hands, trying to block out the fear before it grew too strong and some sort of demon could come after her; it, however, was easier said than done, and she found herself looking up at every little sound she heard. Sure, she knew by now that not _every _creature in the forest was a demon of some sort, but that didn't quell her fear. In fact, it only made her feel worse…

"_What am I going to do…" _she thought, trying to relax herself into a calmness, _"There's no way I can get out of here now, and if I go back, I'll only run into Sesshoumaru; that's the last thing I want right now…He already thinks I'm a worthless coward."_

And there was no doubt in her mind that it was a true fact. The way he looked at her when he said 'fear' was enough to convince her completely, and now, she felt positively nauseous. First, Hiei couldn't stand her, and now Sesshoumaru thought she was a coward. She knew that Yusuke had never really trusted her, and Kurama had been nice enough, only because he was polite, she was sure. Inuyasha had brushed her off; Abunai had done the same, and Taisei seemed to have a problem with women in general. Hitairu had only used her for the tournament; Setare had betray her, and now, Yashira was going to be fighting against her…

Kenyusa: How much worse can things get? (She spoke aloud, not really realizing she even was, but was completely startled when she received a reply.)

Hiei: Quite a bit, actually. You could be facing a blood-thirsty Vampire or something.

Whirling around as she stood, she saw two glowing lights in the shape of eyes; the body of the creature was hidden in the darkness, and she backed away, not really caring to pay attention to the familiarity of the voice. She hadn't brought her sword with her, she soon found, but she materialized a whip of violet light in her hands. Striking out at the creature hiding in the darkness, she felt her blood run cold when it was no longer in front of her, but breathing warm air onto the back of her neck. She would have turned around, had a clawed hand not gripped loosely at her throat, and the voice came again, this time, forcing her into relaxation.

Hiei: Calm down, Kenyusa, its me. Relax, already; there's nothing to be afraid of.

Kenyusa: H-Hiei? Why didn't you answer my calls?

Hiei: There was no need to. Every demon in the forest doesn't need to know I'm here…Why are you following me?

Kenyusa: I'll tell you if you let go of my neck.

Hiei: No, I don't think I will…

She was in the process of saying 'What?' when the grip became chokingly tight. Her hands struggled with the one at her throat, and fear instantly overcame her again; her mind raced, and she began to try to squirm out of his grasp. At her futile attempts, ht man behind her began to laugh; there was no doubt in her mind that this dragon wasn't Hiei…In fact, she had no idea if it was a dragon at all. However, her suspicions that it was were confirmed, when she saw a familiar face emerge from the trees in front of her. True, she noticed that he looked much less cruel and angry than he had at the tournament, but that failed to change the fact that he was the same man. Onyx hair, Sapphire eyes appearing both lavender as well as emerald in the darkness…Yes, this was the same Hitairu that she knew.

He approached, stepping over the log on the ground to stand before her. Up close, she saw that he looked far less healthy than he had at the tournament; his tanned skin had paled drastically, and he looked positively ill…But what did she have to do with him and his worrying sickness? Her only concern should have been breaking free of the bind she was in, not having motherly compassion for someone she had a fling with over a period of only about a month or so… He reached out, and with a hand on her chin, brought her face up so that their eyes met; a cruel irony, that such habits as shivering from light touch or cold eyes died so hard. He spoke as he forced her eyes to keep contact with his own, and she knew instantly what he was doing; his gaze was hypnotic, should one stare into it for too long…It was a fact that she had learned too hard a way, but she had no intention of reliving old moments. She listened closely, trying to hear what he was saying, but her senses had dulled too much to catch much of his low voice; the sound of the speech behind her, however, she heard perfectly fine--she was still together enough to figure out the conversation on her own…Or so she hoped.

Hitairu: W… ne, Sansai. I see…cap…nicely.

Sansai: It wasn't hard. Put that draglet in front of her, and she's caught like a fly in a honeyed spider web. What do you want me to do to her?

Hitairu: …ing. Take…o the pl…others are bei…pt. If you…ne hai…ead, I'll k…sonall…derstood?

Sansai: Geez. No need to get testy; almost seems like you got some kinda bond with her…

Hitairu: An…t if…o? Ei…ay, doesn't ma…Make su…n't touch a si…on her h…Oth…ise…have two…gry dragons on you…Now go.

She was beyond confused, partly because of her heavy daze, and partly because she couldn't make out what he had said. She was ignorant of the situation entirely, but it didn't seem to matter. As she felt herself slipping away into a blissful abyss, Hitairu's voice rang clearly in her mind…

"…**_Kenyusa…Just hold on; I am sorry to have to do this to you, but its for my life, as well as the safety of your own. Hiei will come for you--I promise…" _**After that, she heard no more. Her mind was pushed into darkness, and her body relaxed. Sleep overcame her, and therefore dreamless, she knew she shouldn't have seen _him_ beneath her eyelids…But Hitairu's words continued to echo through her ears, until they finally became silent, and she fell into unconsciousness.

* * *

He had settled to get some well-needed sleep, never expecting what would awaken him. In the upper branches of a tall tree, he thought he was hidden away from the annoyances of the world beneath himself. He had crossed the barrier between the worlds, and though it was rather difficult as he had done it only once before, he knew that something was out of place. His stomach dropped, and he felt uneasy about his situation, but he figured that it was his body's way of telling him to get some sleep--amazing how long he'd gone without that particular necessity. However, he was about to drift off, when he sat bolt upright, suddenly wide awake, and having the familiar tug on his body that he'd felt as he got up to leave the castle back in the Demon World. He found himself feeling frustrated and angry…But about what? As he was beginning to think he'd lost his mind, he heard an ear-splitting _crack _come from somewhere below him; looking down, he saw that instead of a bolt of lightning, it was the controller of the element himself… 

"_Kenta…He's supposed to be with the others. Why is he here without them?"_

His thoughts, however, were promptly answered when another dragon appeared before him, stepping out from a void of swirling ebony and violet. What struck him as odd, however, was the appearance of this man; Hiei was positive that he was looking down on an image of himself…But who was he holding in his arms? Being so high up, even his sharp eyesight couldn't make out crucial details on the scene below, but it didn't really matter in any case. The figure that replicated him began to morph, and its form was much unlike his own…but there were the distinct similarities.

The dragon looked much like he remembered Setare to appear; tall, pallid, and having a blue tail. His hair was rather short, and of an aqua green hue; his pants were white, and his shoes the same color. The man wore no shirt, but by now, Hiei had come to know dragons wore as little clothing as possible; being fighters, there was no need to wear dragging garments that would slow down movement. The two spoke briefly, and the blue-tailed dragon sped off down a hidden path in the forest. Kenta, after looking around, followed a completely different path; Hiei wasn't sure, but he suspected that Kenta was going to head-off the people he had left behind. Odd, it seemed, that he would have left them in the first place…But it wasn't his problem. Hiei's tugging feeling was pulling him after the blue dragon that had run into the trees; it wasn't catching up that would be the issue, however, were he to catch the man before he got where he was headed. It was a fight with an unknown enemy that Hiei wanted to avoid; he had had enough of those in the past to last him the rest of his future, and he didn't need to add to his gracious surplus of said encounters.

But he wasn't going to just ignore the beckoning feeling, either. Besides…he was curious to know who the creature was that the man was holding; something told him he should have known, but alas, memory chose to fail him this night. Having his curiosity peaked, and his instincts screaming, he rolled effortlessly from the branch, and landed silently on the ground; he followed the path that the assumingly-aqua based dragon had taken, and picked up his pace, using his own supernatural speed. This particular path, however, seemed to be more of a tangled web of fallen trees, rapidly flowing river currents, and dense foliage that to an outsider like himself, would have proven (aside of frustrating) to be the complete antonym of maneuverable…But he caught up to his target, who was slowing in his pace, as if looking for something; Hiei wasn't going to question, but simply get a better look at the thing in the man's arms--a harmless action, right?

He found surprisingly abrupt lack of trees to be a large inconvenience, but as Hiei's object of pursuit halted in the middle of the clearing, Hiei was sure that he'd lost his way…But that wasn't the case, as the dragon reached out, and grasped hold of some invisible item that only revealed itself, seemingly, when touched. A large door, looking to be stone, but having the glint of metal in the moonlight, appeared; it was far larger than any normal door could have been, and Hiei compared only the Gates of Spirit World to be a comparison of size. It was pulled open rather easily, by the looks of things, and as the man looked around, Hiei made sure to press himself into the shadows at the edge of numerous trees; it obviously worked, for he didn't seem to be spotted, and by a course of luck, the door was left open as the dragon ducked into the seemingly endless void of black behind it. Wasting no time, Hiei followed as his tugging impulse became steadily stronger, but as he entered, the door slammed shut behind him, no doubt disappearing from view to anyone who might choose to show themselves later. Torches flared along the walls, showering the corridor in eerie, flickering flames of both violet as well as jade; footsteps sounded toward him, and not one to like being caught off guard, he gripped the hilt of his sword, and moved forward. What greeted his eyes was a web-like maze of different halls and corridors, stairs leading both upward as well as down, and in addition to all of this, ladders, seemingly made into or from the wall, some being gold, others silver, or red, or any other color of the spectrum, he saw as he continued to look…But as footsteps ceased, a wall of fire erupted to grasp his attention, and he whirled around; his eyes immediately widened in shock at what he saw.

There she was. Her small, lean form radiating with the energy of anger; her normally placid eyes lit by a fire like none he had ever seen…Subconsciously, he began to wonder if the chilling feeling in his spine was because of the figure before him, or because it was a grim realization that this image had also adorned his body when he became enraged and temporarily out of control. In her hands, she held a scythe that looked to be made of pure ice; the other, he noticed, was clenched tightly into a fist as her aura radiated, pure malice running from her in waves.

He backed away. For the first time he would admit…he was afraid.

Scythe raised in her hand, she made a step forward, and though it was both slow, and deliberate, Hiei refused to accept the image before his eyes. The weapon was anchored to her wrist by what looked to be a Spirit Chain, and he hoped against the sinking in his gut that this was a nightmare that he would awaken from…But he knew better, and yet…As she moved forward again, this time hurling the sharp blade toward him like one would toss a Frisbee, he was caught transfixed as a large, deep gash was torn into the flesh near his ribcage. He could only shake his head, as his front was soon dripping with blood, and the assailing weapon was caught with graceful fingers…fingers that now bore claws like those of a dragon. Her eyes were blank of all light, and were nothing more than a base of brownish gold blurs, contrasting greatly to the blue-white around those once-shimmering irises. She was oh, so very pale, and Hiei took a step backward from her, as she raised the weapon again, preparing to slash him again. Each step caused droplets of his blood to fall upon the smooth, stone floor, and the sight seemed to please the woman. She bore two sharp fangs as she smiled at his dazed, retreating form. Hiei, however, was lost to words; a delicate buzz drowned out all comprehendible impulses that might have found their way to his brain, and as his back came against chillingly cold stone, he felt the contrasting burn of another gash being torn into his torso as his stomach gushed a waterfall of near-ebony fluid. His head spun, and he felt nauseously ill; were it not for the throbbing pain in his stomach or the fact that he hadn't eaten in quite some time, he knew, though absently, that more than a great deal of blood would have spewed forth from his mouth…

But his mind was elsewhere. His conscious raced through the corridors of his brain, trying to find answers to his steadily hurtful question, unable even to be formed my his mind, let alone spoken aloud. Words and impulses raced through his head, making the dizziness change course into a full-blown migraine. He felt his body slumping, unable to stay upright, even with the support of the wall behind him; the blood, however, was too slippery for him to remain on his feet. He barely felt himself thud to the floor, nor did he realize that he was very near the possibility of both bleeding to death as well as drowning in said blood. An angelic laugh reached his ears, like an ironically evil melody…But he didn't dare to look up. He couldn't bear to see her face again, consumed by a demented rage, or illuminated so darkly by the flames along the walls…

Footsteps faded, and so, he knew, was his consciousness. Slowly, and surely, he was slipping into a shadow far beyond the darkness that came from his own eyes being closed…And yet he couldn't stop it. The question that refused to form only seconds before was now burning hotly into his brain. It was pushing him further, not ceasing, and not being merciful. He knew he refused to believe what he'd seen, but the fact still remained--if the mere illusion was enough to put him in such a condition…

"_But it wasn't an illusion…" _he thought, as his body drained of strength. To think it would only make it true, and he knew, that it wasn't. She wouldn't have done this to him, would she? No. No, she wouldn't have, and he knew she'd have killed herself before even thinking it…

"_It couldn't have been you…" _he thought stubbornly, even though there was a pan of sadness to accompany the thought. He refused to believe, and were he to ever move from the stone, he knew…he hoped…that he wasn't wrong.

"_I know it wasn't you…"_ his mind was breaking down on him now; he could feel it. _"Yukina…I know it wasn't you…"_ He fainted with his steady hope that he was right, but somewhere in the non-punctured areas of his gut, his instinct couldn't help but know that there was every possibility that he was wrong; that if a dragon wanted vengeance, then there was nothing that it wouldn't stoop to in order to reap their reward……

---------- ------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HA! Sooner than I expected, longer than the last chapter, and a twist that I didn't even see coming until I typed it out. Some of the tie-together may suck, I know, but as I can't help but come up with this stuff from the top of my head, it gets tricky… Thanks to those who reviewed, and I would reply, but alas, I'm in a hurry. You aren't forgotten, you, know, and you'll get your dues next chap. See Ya!


	8. Secrets and Obstacles Abound

Yusuke: Why'd we stop here? You're not gonna ditch us too, are you?

Satsuki: Just trust me for once, okay?

She leapt up into a tree, and moved through the branches until she was no longer hidden by the shadowed edge of the forest. She seemed to crouch low on a heavy limb, and it shook unsteadily as she balanced, preparing to leap off of it; Yusuke was curious as to why she would bother to do this, unless there was some kind of barrier or trap that she wasn't telling them about, but hung back nonetheless. If there was to be such an inconvenience, he wasn't going to be in the middle of it; however, as she pushed off from the tree, she promptly flipped at the height of the leap, and made a prompt descent, to land in the same crouching position that she had been in while in the tree. Her hand seemed to be searching for something in the tall grass, but as she found what she was looking for, she stood, holding what looked like air; she seemed to be backing up with great difficulty, and the strain from whatever it was she was holding seemed to be getting the better of her…until Kurama stepped forward.

Yusuke: What are you doing? It could be a trap!

Kurama: Oh, will you cease the foolishness? Its not a trap, its an entrance; calm yourself.

He walked over to Satsuki's struggling form, and seemed to grip air in front of her, just like she was doing. However, with his added effort, the thing they were holding came into view as a large, heavy chain that didn't surprise Yusuke to take the both of them to move. With a few strained tugs, the other end of the chain rose as well, and revealed a staircase hidden beneath the grass; when they pulled it completely back, Satsuki beckoned for the others to follow her into the dark hole after Kurama. The fox disappeared underground, and Hisaka quickly moved forward after him; though Yusuke was still skeptical, he went forward as well, and after he went down the staircase, Satsuki followed, allowing the passage to conceal itself again. A thick darkness came over them, and he felt compelled to stop in his tracks, but Satsuki shoved him forward, making him go deeper into the darkness of the passage.

Satsuki: Standing here isn't gonna get us to your friend. Move.

Yusuke: How do I know you aren't gonna imprison me or something?

Satsuki: Is it because I'm a dragon that you hate me, or what?

Yusuke: Partly…

Satsuki: You close-minded asshole; you're lucky I don't throw you down these stairs.

She refrained, however, and as they all reached the bottom of the steep staircase, the torches along the walls flared with a magnificent crimson light; some, however, were illuminated by blue flame. Before them stretched maze after maze of hallways and corridors, ending in either sharp, aggressive turns, forked paths, or perhaps a stairway here and there; by simple experience, Kurama knew that these were not simply here for the amusement of its creators…There was something being hidden there, and by the looks of things, they were going to have to work hard to find it.

Satsuki: Okay, guys, there's a problem here, and it starts now.

They all turned to face her, and though she already knew what was on Yusuke's mind, she ignored his accusing looks. Instead, she walked past Kurama and stopped before the first set of stairs visible to them. As she turned to face them again, she placed a foot on the bottom step; as though the place had come to life, they heard the scraping of stone as it seemed to move. The 'ceiling' above them seemed to move, and Satsuki took her foot from the stairway; it immediately disappeared, and the torches on the walls went from red and azure, to gold and an odd, nearly black hue.

Kurama: I see…The corridors change each time someone touches the stairs…

Satsuki: Or tries to climb one of these ladders. (she gestured to a black ladder that had emerged from the wall beside her when the staircase disappeared.) So, we'll have to split up, else we'll run in circles, but we'll also have to be careful. Hisaka, you can come with me; I'm sure you two boys can take care of yourselves, hmm?

Yusuke: Well, duh!

Kurama: Yes, but precautions wouldn't kill us--in fact, a few lives could be saved, if we take them.

He reached into his pocked, and pulled out a round, black object that looked something like a compact, but instead of holding the contents of makeup, it was, apparently, one of Koenma's communicators. As he held it in his hand, it doubled itself into two, and he tossed one to Hisaka, who caught it instinctively; in her hands, it doubled again, and she handed the other to Satsuki--it didn't split again, however.

Satsuki: What's this thing?

Kurama: A communicator. Keep it with you; its quite useful. If you find something, speak into it. It'll alert the rest of us with a mild, silent shock; if its broken, however, the others will beep loudly…or so Botan told me when she gave it to me. However, in the sudden bout of excitement in the last couple of days, it completely slipped my mind. (as he spoke, the remaining communicator in his hand split again, and he gave Yusuke one of the two; like before, it remained whole.)

Yusuke: Great, but why will it beep?

Kurama: These don't break by ordinary means, Yusuke. Dropping it wouldn't destroy it, but having it crushed or cut by something, however, would prove to happen in a dangerous situation. With proper alert, help may be given to the person in time…Now lets get going, shall we?

Satsuki: Sure, but keep in mind. If you dawdle on the stairs or the ladders, they'll disappear, and the corridors will move again, whether you get where you're going or not. Keep that in mind, if you please.

With a unanimous agreement, they split off. Yusuke and Kurama ran down another corridor, while Satsuki and Hisaka rapidly ascended the black ladder. Ignoring the churning of the stones above them as well as the changing of the torch light, they kept going down the seemingly endless passage; at the end, however, they came to their first forked path, and with a silent agreement, split off. Yusuke took the descending stairway; Kurama, however, took the ascending one opposing it at the other end of a sharp turn. Communicators pocketed, and weapons in easy reach, they moved further and further apart, feeling the churning of the maze as its paths changed before them…However, Kurama was quick to realize that there were no dead-ends to the corridors, and made a point to no longer ignore the torches on the walls…

* * *

The sound of the heavy, metallic door slamming roused him, and he looked up, blinkingly, to find Kijou crouching over someone laying on the floor in front of that same door. Knowing that it wasn't the tiger, because he was sitting against the opposite wall, he too, got up and went to see who it was. When he saw the form, however, he couldn't suppress his outcry of surprise. 

Kuwabara: Kenyusa!

Kijou: You know her?

Kuwabara: Yeah; she's Hiei's girl--or, that's what Botan told me.

Kenyusa: I'm not his girl…(the statement was more of a groan, not an attack, and she tried to get up, but failed. Apparently, she had tried before, because Kijou gave her a look of something akin to pity, before he helped move her into a sitting position.)

Kijou: I can't believe it…I can't believe I didn't recognize you sooner…

Kuwabara: What are you talking about?

Kijou: I knew her when she was a little girl…Her mother and I were close friends, back in our day, and the Dragon Realm knew us a two of the worst menaces to society there were…We were always getting into things, you see. Now I see it…Yeah, she looks just like Rigairi.

Kenyusa: You…You knew my mother?

Kijou: Yes, but don't worry about it. Just rest until your strength returns, my dear; then you can talk all you want. I'll bet you have a big mouth, just like your mom.

Kenyusa managed a weak laugh at this while Kijou helped her to scoot her way back to the wall, and relax; because Kuwabara was closest, however, he heard Satsu mumbling something about 'women' and 'K' before he lay back down on his side to drift off into sleep. Shaking his head, he began to wonder just what was going on in his absence--Kenyusa was supposed to be in the castle that Sesshoumaru occupied, wasn't she? A deep worry began to form in his stomach as he watched the woman sleep, and while feeding her off his own aura, Kijou gave him a glance that said he knew exactly what was going through the man's mind.

Kijou: There's no need to worry, you know. Your friends will be fine…Until they get here, however, you should rest. It clears the mind, you know.

Kuwabara was going to say 'what's his excuse' and address it to Satsu, but he held back on it, and instead, rested limply against the wall again. With a heavy sigh, he forced himself to sleep, and though it was a dreamless moment of what seemed like eternal darkness, he found himself blinking back to consciousness, at what seemed to be hours later. Kenyusa was pleasantly rested, and chatting lowly with Kijou as she held a smile on her face; Kijou was grinning as well while he told her of some of his past escapades, and she kept putting her hand over her mouth to keep her laughing muffled. In fact, it would have appeared the two were flirting, was there not the father-daughter aura about them, and when they noticed Kuwabara was awake, they took the liberty to speak a bit louder, knowing there was no danger of rousing him from his sleep--he would have been more thankful, were it not such an uncomfortable rest. Kenyusa looked at him, and tossed something at him from beside her. He noticed it was an apple of some sort, and looked questioningly back at her when she shrugged.

Kenyusa: Some fruit flared up while you were asleep. I snagged you one of the apples before ol' greedy here, (she gestured to Kijou) could finish off the whole lot of it.

Kuwabara: Oh…thanks.

Kenyusa: No problem, Kuwabara. Glad to be help, since I haven't been too much anything aside from a nuisance lately.

Kuwabara: If you mean Yusuke, don't worry. He's just like that sometimes--

Kenyusa: Actually…(she spoke rather quietly now) I was thinking more along the lines of Hiei. But never mind about him; how would you go about getting out of here?

Kijou: Well, we don't know. Kuwabara says his buddies are coming to break him out--

Kenyusa: Of course! Yusuke left the castle and was coming here, I think. I wonder why they haven't gotten here, though…Oh, but don't worry. (she saw the flicker of concern in Kuwabara's eyes) I know he'll be here.

Kuwabara: I hope so…

Kijou: Kenyusa, can I ask you something?

Kenyusa: Oh, sure. What is it?

Kijou: When you saw Sesshoumaru in that tree, what was he doing, exactly?

Kenyusa: Oh, I dunno. He was in the direct light of the moon, I know that. His arm, left I think, started to glow, and he seemed to be getting energy from the moonlight. Why?

Kijou: Interesting…You know, I thought he lost his left arm in a fight with his brother; I heard the two arguing about it, you see. I wonder…Yes, I do believe…

Kenyusa: What? What do you believe?

Kijou: What did he say to you? Or rather, what was the look in his eyes as he spoke to you?

Kenyusa: I don't really know…I was kind of afraid to look into his eyes…

Kijou: Oh? Well, then that settles it. I'm going to need to find Koenma when I finally get out of here--seems I've missed quite a bit of action.

Kuwabara: Hey…What do you know that we don't?

Kijou: Well, he's gonna wanna slaughter me, but I think I can tip you off on his little secret. You see, his left arm was severed by his brother long ago in a fight between them. Now, I'm not entirely sure how it happened, but I think he came across a woman who gave him his arm back. You see, Kenyusa, it is rather frightening to look into the eye of a man that can look through you, and so, I believe, he's gotten himself put under something of a curse…

Kenyusa: A curse? What kind of curse could befall a man like that?

Satsu: The Curse of Anubis, of course. It's the enchantment of a Wolf's Wrath that can be placed only on canine demons, and cast only by those of wolf blood.

Kijou: He's right. It is a terrible fate to bestow upon someone, and its almost like a Demonic Slavery that they put on you.

Kuwabara: I don't get it.

Kenyusa: Me neither. Why would Sesshoumaru let himself be put in such a position? From what I hear, he's an accomplished warlord with a mean streak and a silent temper to boot; surely he'd know if something like this was happening to him…

Kijou: No, (he sighed, no longer meeting her eye) no, he wouldn't have. Suppose that he was fighting a dragon like the one that attacked soon after you met him. Without the other two there to fight with him, he could have been ripped to shreds and nearly bled to death. Now, a wolf, desperate for life as well and knowing Sesshoumaru's reputation, could have possibly found him in such a weak condition, waited for him to slip into unconsciousness so that his body could mend, and taken advantage of the opportunity to lay the curse then. If he awoke to find himself with two arms, rather than one, he would immediately know what had happened, of course…

Satsu: And if so, would have sought out the person who did it to him. Naturally, his red markings would have been copied in a similar fashion to the wolf who cursed him, and he would have killed them undoubtedly. However, having claimed a piece of his soul--

Kuwabara: You mean a soul-snatcher cursed him? What kind of person would take a piece of someone's soul!

Kijou: A person very desperate to live. Surely, had you the power to teeter back to the world of living when on the brink of death, you'd find some way to get back?

Kuwabara: I would, but not if it means killing someone else!

Satsu: Nobody killed at all. In fact, two survived, where only one would have. At a glance, it would seem to be a good situation, would it not?

Kuwabara: Yeah, but…

Kenyusa: Kuwabara, (she began softly) do you have someone that you love like a brother or maybe a sibling that you truly care for?

Kuwabara: Yea. What's your point?

Kijou: If that person loved you to the point of devastation were you to die, you wouldn't want to cause them pain. You'd do whatever it was possible to ensure your own survival, even if it meant sacrificing an enemy, wouldn't you?

Kuwabara: Well…uh…

Satsu: Exactly. You'd do it, and if it were a very strong person, you'd be tempted all the more. The same thing could very well have happened to Sesshoumaru, for after such a war, he was bound to have an abundance of enemies. One of them, possibly caught in an after-battle of sorts, came across him, unconscious as his body healed its wounds, and created the bond. It would take only blood, and a few incantations to ensure it worked, and if he's already bleeding freely, he would be easy prey.

Kenyusa: That's right. But there'd be after-effects, wouldn't there? Loss of strength, and because it was a wolf, something would have to be in accordance to the moon somehow…

Kijou: Now you're getting it. With a spiritual tie like that, the caster of the spell wouldn't die until their counter, as they say, died. Having Sesshoumaru as a counter is like extra insurance; he's a determined man, and a very powerful demon. He can't simply be killed, if only a few hours of sleep is needed to bring him back from the rim of fatality.

Kuwabara: What happens if the caster is killed suddenly? Like, having their head cut off or something?

Satsu: The bond would take effect, and half Sesshoumaru's spirit would have been ripped from his body. Assuming he would have killed the person himself, rage wouldn't allow him to think properly. Sure, control over him would be lost, but so would his Life Energy. Sesshoumaru would have been like a walking corpse, but still having great Demonic and Spiritual Energies flowing through him. The person that used him, obviously, would have to take on a new appearance, but would always have memory of him, you see. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if that person were lurking somewhere near Sesshoumaru now, trying to make sure the bond remains strong.

Kenyusa: Oh, you don't think that could happen, do you?

Kijou: It's a possibility. And now, I think a change of subject is in order, don't you? Let's focus our attention on what's going to happen when we finally get out of here. Surely, we aren't going to be allowed a free escape, are we?

Kenyusa: Actually…I think we're here as more of a trap.

Satsu: Yes…Hisaka will definitely come here, and the Dragons have been after her head for many a century.

Kenyusa: And Hiei…

Kuwabara: Not that I'm concerned, or anything, but what about Hiei?

Kenyusa: Well…

* * *

As she began to retell what had happened to get her there, she was oblivious to the actions going on both several levels above as well as below them. Yusuke continued to make his way down set of stairs after set of stairs, hoping that he wasn't hindering any of Kurama's movements up above him somewhere, and now, he found himself in a place where, around each corner, there was a set of stairs to be descended. He would run down swiftly, the corridors would change along with the color of the torches on the slick walls, and he would be met by another descending set of stairs. Though nearly out of breath, the constant downhill-slope helped him keep his speed, and he wasn't daring to stop, lest he be caught off his course. Finally, he broke free of the constant stairways, and he came to a flat corridor; without breaking stride, he continued on the path, but a well-hidden detour leapt out him. He knew better than to submit to the overwhelming power of clichés, but he couldn't help but take the path, noticing instantly that the entranceway disappeared the second he entered. A flash of white light blared out at him, and he instantly moved toward it without so much as a second thought. However, as he silently rounded a corner, he saw a sight that made his jaw drop. 

He saw who appeared to be Yukina, standing over the still form of some dragon, scythe in hand and the chain dangling from her wrist. Her eyes held a menacing glare, and she smirked in such an evil way, Yusuke had to look hard to be sure of what he was seeing. However, the flash came again, and where she had just stood, he saw Sesshoumaru's tall form, the blank masking of feeling on his face, and long white hair spilling gracefully over his shoulders and back. The white pants and black boots were the same, but his shirt was now black, and unbuttoned quite a bit from the collar, which exposed his smooth chest. A tan marking, much like a scar, showed from even this distance, but Sesshoumaru didn't seem to care. The scythe in his hand had transformed into a sword, and he sheathed it instantly, not even looking where he was putting it, like the action was second nature. Golden orbs traced the room with suspicion, as though he knew Yusuke was there, but Yusuke wasn't about to wait around for his cover to be blown. He crept backward, and nearly reached the place where the door had been…

But sure enough, he was spotted before he could figure out how to get back out of the dimly-lit area. Sesshoumaru came determinedly toward him, a slight frown etched on his face, and his claws flexing visibly at his side. Sesshoumaru raised his hand, and as if on cue, the torches flared violently, illuminating the area in which they were both standing; it appeared to be a courtyard of some sort, and full of deadly looking plants. Sesshoumaru lunged, and Yusuke tumbled out of the way, looking back to notice that the very stone of the wall melted with the poison from the dog-demon's claws; the only words on his mind were 'oh, damn' as he dodged again, and more melted stone graced his vision. Silently cursing that Kurama wasn't here to use the plants to Sesshoumaru's disadvantage, he was resolved to ducking and dodging around the plants while they withered and melted at the pursuing demon's very touch.

"_How…In the HELL…" _Yusuke thought, trying to hold back fear as he tried to hid amongst many of the plants, _"…Will I ever get out of this!"_

* * *

"_Blood?" _Kurama thought as he stopped at the top of a staircase he had just climbed. The torches on the walls were a pale green or dark blue, and the scent hade been getting even more strong as he followed the set path. Yes, the scent was much stronger now, but it definitely wasn't one of the people with whom he, himself had come; a drop came to his stomach, and his instincts told him to hurry after the scent. He ran, following the torchlight to where the scent grew strongest. An unknown source of panic found him, and he ran all the faster, speeding down the hallways as though being pulled by an invisible magnet…However, he came to a junction, and had to make a swift decision; he could either go up the stairs and risk his path changing too greatly, or he could climb the ladder, which would take him directly above his position, which would remain in place, regardless of the changing corridors. 

Opting for the latter, he stepped backward, and took a running leap at the ladder, making sure to grasp it high enough so that he could ascend easily. However, as he did so, he felt the walls around him changing, and the torches changed light below him as he climbed; he knew he would be cutting it close, and as he emerged through the floor of the level above, he rolled quickly, avoiding the closure of the floor where the ladder used to be. Now, the torches blazed green and violet…

And he found who he was searching for. When he did so, he almost felt compelled to raise a hand to his mouth in sheer shock.

Kurama: Hiei?

He raced forward, ignoring the blood as he knelt next to Hiei's still form on the floor. He checked for pulse, and found it too slow to show his heart would continue beating for much longer; in grim fact, Hiei's wounds had simply ceased to bleed, though they were still wide open--his body refused to shed another drop of blood, and yet, this also meant that the wounds would not close. But Hiei's survival was a bit more important the wounds, and Kurama began to pour his own Life Energy into the body of his friend; he knew that Hiei would survive, but there would be little time to get him back to Koenma before his survival was on the line again…But yet, another thought ran through his mind as he hoisted his comrade into his arms and stood, still ignoring the blood that dripped from the dragon's clothes, covering his own in the thick liquid.

"_How had he gotten in here to begin with. Surely, he couldn't have come in the same way that we did…" _

He looked around, not bothering to go back the same way he had come from, but instead, kept going forward. It wasn't until he turned a corner that he saw the exit; he also saw someone he would much have preferred to never lay eyes on again…But Kenta wasn't his concern now. Once he made a dash for the exit, and shifted Hiei's weight, and pulled out the communicator. Flipping it open with a flick of his wrist, he let his thumb graze a blue button on the black surface, and Botan's face appeared, looking quite worried.

_**Kurama! Why haven't you contacted me before now! **_

Kurama: I'm sorry, Botan, but I don't have time to explain. I need you to get Koenma here, and do so fast. This is rather an emergency.

_**He'll be there before you can close your compact. But would it kill you to explain? **_

Kurama: No, but it could kill Hiei instead. Now please, if you don't mind…

_**…Right. **_

Kurama: Thank you. I will explain when Hiei is taken care of.

A rush of energy flared behind him, and he whirled around, to find Koenma standing there, thankfully, in his older form. Silently, Kurama let Koenma get his own hold on Hiei, and as the teen looked him over, Kurama remained silent still; not that he didn't know Hiei would survive…he just didn't know for how long. Koenma nodded gravely, and looked at Kurama by simply raising his eyes.

Koenma: You apparently know the extent of his injuries, then…

Kurama: Yes, I believe I do.

Koenma: Your energy has helped greatly. I'll get him back to the care of Abunai and the others as soon as possible. You should fear now, Kurama; should things come to the worst, Sesshoumaru can--

Kurama: I understand.

As Koenma disappeared, Kurama returned his attention to a patiently-waiting Botan. She couldn't have appeared less calm, but despite her worried expression, she was remaining remarkably silent. Sighing, he began to walk back toward the maze of corridors, absently thinking about Kenta as he did so; he didn't know that he was being watched by the electrical-element dragon, but he had no care of it. Suddenly, he was getting more of a war-experience than he could ever have wanted, and was now, more than ever, aware of the lengths that the Dragons were going to take in order to hit their mark.

Kurama: Well, Botan…(he began after a pause) I suppose you'll want me to start from the beginning…

* * *

Wahoo! Two chapters in two days! I'm on a roll, I do believe! Thanks to Sakusha Saelbu (glad you shortened your name; much easier to type, you know :P Ha ha! Just kidding. I don't mind your user name at all!) as well as zee for their previous reviews. I hope to update sooner for you in the future, though.

Until next time! SEE YA!


	9. Chapter 9

"_Oh, damn, Damn, DAMN! I don't know why he's playing games; we both know he's gonna slaughter me!"_

These, of course, were the only thoughts in Yusuke's mind as he continued to dodge Sesshoumaru's Poison Claw attacks; however, just as he thought, Sesshoumaru was simply playing games, corning Yusuke and then letting him run away from said claws. Of course, Yusuke had tried several times to blast the demon with a Spirit Gun attack, or perhaps a simple blast of energy, but all this had failed, for each attack was simply absorbed by the second sword at his waist, and then dissolved into nothingness. So, Yusuke was forced to run, and become the source of amusement for his assailant. In truth, he was becoming less and less aggravated, and more and more afraid. Sesshoumaru, on the other hand, seemed to be greatly and happily amused.

Sesshoumaru: Where, oh where, could my prey have gone? Ah…(he looked toward a darker corner of the room, and saw a glint of Yusuke's eyes as he turned his head slightly) There you are. Funny; I thought you would have preferred to mask your scent, rather than hide in the open…

Yusuke: If you know where I am, why not kill me? (he grunted as he barely dodged another blow from no-longer-glowing claws)

Sesshoumaru: Killing you would end my fun. (he purposefully missed his target, smiling as he did so.) And we can't have that, now can we?

Yusuke: I know I certainly wouldn't mind.

Sesshoumaru: Yes, yes…You must hate ducking and dodging around this small room. I'll let you go… (the door suddenly reappeared, and opened just enough for Yusuke to slip through)…For a price, of course.

Yusuke: (slipping toward the door) What's the catch?

Sesshoumaru: Nothing really. (He watched Yusuke moving ever closer to the door) But then again…

Yusuke wasn't listening anymore. He broke into a full-out run, and left the room, slamming the door behind him. However, as he did so, he noticed the floor changing around him as well as the hue of the torches on the walls. The door behind him was replaced by a stone wall, but as he moved from a sudden panic, he found himself rather bloody. Turning around, he saw what looked like large splatters of crimson on the wall, as well as what looked like a shallow river of the liquid on the floor as well. Hearing a voice from somewhere down the corridor, he ran toward it, his encounter with Sesshoumaru temporarily forgotten. As he got closer to the person, however, he was allowed to slow down, due to Kurama's un-rapid pace; he was just closing the communicator, and placing it back in his pocket when Yusuke completely caught up.

Yusuke: Kurama? (he noticed the blood covering much of the man's front) What happened? Who attacked _you_?

Kurama: No one…Were you attacked by someone?

Yusuke: Yeah; I just got done playing "Duck-Duck-Goose" with Elder Dog-Brother back in another corridor…And if you aren't hurt, what happened to you?

Kurama: Apparently, Hiei was hurt as he came into this maze. I don't know who it was that possibly could have done so, but I know for sure that it wasn't Satsuki or Hisaka. They've never even come down the corridor with green and violet light; their scents aren't anywhere near here.

Yusuke: So…You don't think it could have been Sesshoumaru? Or Kenta, maybe even Hitairu?

Kurama: (shaking his head) No, I don't believe so. None of them have been anywhere near here, and I only just saw Kenta as I was coming back inside…

Yusuke: But how could Sesshoumaru be here, if he hadn't come in either way that we did?

Kurama: Perhaps…Perhaps there's another way to look at this. Yusuke, do you remember the color of the torches on the walls when you first encountered him?

Yusuke: Yeah…I think they were blue and yellow…

Kurama: That's all I need to know. Lets find that hallway you were fighting in.

Yusuke: But why! He's just gonna try and kill me again!

Kurama: Take the risk; it may be the best way to put an end to all of the mazes and traps in this place.

* * *

Satsuki: Hisaka? Hisaka, where did you go?

She looked around, not seeing the tigress demon anywhere; however, it wasn't until she saw the colors changing on the walls that she knew Hisaka had taken the alternate path, and had gone down the set of shadowed stairs, well hidden in the corner of the corridor's end. Cursing under her breath, she picked up the pace, making the decision to try and find the hidden prison chamber before her companion could; Hisaka must have caught a familiar scent to slip away so suddenly. She made her way to the next ladder on the wall, jumping up to catch it high as she quickly pulled herself upward and through the seemingly-solid floor; when she broke the surface, she saw the hues of the light changing, and tumbled forward to prevent herself from being sliced in a clean half when the barrier broke and the floor returned to its solid composition once more.

Looking around, she found that she didn't recognize this particular corridor. The torches lit her way with flickering flame of deep, blue-violet and gold, but she wasn't sure which way in which to go. However, a voice broke out toward her in the darkness, and she whirled, only to come eye-to-eye with a man with long, flowing hair.

"_A Demon? …No… He's a Shape-Shifter."_

Sesshoumaru: Right you are. I was waiting for someone to realize that…

Before her eyes, the man's body was consumed by a glowing aura of pure white, and his form shrank into nothing more than a simple sphere of pallid coloring. However, it took on another form, and with a burst of illumination, a dragon stood before her, holding a black staff in his right hand. White clothes, a shirtless torso, and a sash of deep emerald at his waist made her retreat from him in alarm. She knew this man, and knew what he was all about; the fact that he was considered to be "The Hydra Devil" was nothing she would take lightly…but never, could she have imagined, that he would be a Shape-Shifter…

Satsuki: Sansai? What are you doing here?

Sansai: Carrying out my orders from Kuro…or rather, Houka. To be honest, I don't even know what his real name is, but I'm pretty sure that its neither of those. Anyways, what are you doing here? You wouldn't be trying to find the prison chambers, would you?

Satsuki: …No. I'm trying to find my friend.

Sansai: Would she be a tigress demon who has blonde hair and a mate being kept in the lower dungeons? If so…You won't be finding her here.

Satsuki: What have you done with her!

Sansai: Why, nothing. Another of your comrades, however…I do hope he's alive when the others find him. But then, Hiei didn't come here with you, now did he?

Satsuki: Who?

Sansai: Hiei. This young dragon the Realm is buzzing over…You know, he wasn't that strong…Of course, he _was_ quite stunned…

Satsuki: You tried to kill him?

Sansai: I had orders.

He approached her as he began twirling his staff in his hand. She easily saw the glint of the bladed tip on one end, as well as the curved blades that seemed to hold the hovering sphere between them. The gem began to give off an odd, red glow, and he pointed it at her, aiming for her heart. A smile played across his lips for a brief moment, before he moved forward again, and swung the blades at her; she backed away, and came up against the wall, her eyes wide with the unfamiliar feeling of fright and her body frozen in place.

Sansai: …I also have orders to kill intruders. (he moved closer) Don't you think it amazing how people just _freeze _when faced with a possible death? Hiei was paralyzed with fear…Amazing what an effect something so unfamiliar can have on someone, isn't it?

He received no answer and he laughed softly at her; she truly was pathetic for a dragoness…Amazing how strong her aura was as it lashed out at him when he made another step toward her. She was practically making him drown in the scent of her fear, and he removed his weapon from the direction of her body; there was no reason to end her life, after all. She was a true dragon; why compromise things by killing Hitairu's eldest heir?

Sansai: I'll let you go for now. Next time I see you, don't expect to be so lucky.

Leaving her there against the wall, he sped off down the corridors with what any other dragon would consider amazing speed; currently, he was a blur of white and slight green as he raced through the corridors and leapt over stairways, both ascending as well as descending. Of course, this failed to make the corridors change, and he found his target with ease; at seeing him again, Hisaka extended her claws and halted on the spot, ready to fight him again should he try and attack her another time. He, however, wasn't in the mood for games any longer.

Sansai: Look, tigress. You should get back to your friends, and do it now.

Hisaka: Why bother? Knowing a snake like you, it's probably just another trap.

Sansai: Fine. Do as you wish; be killed by the Guardian Dragons. Its no scale off my tail.

With this thought, as well as a blur of white, he disappeared and left no trace. However, the second Hisaka turned back to the path, she felt her body slip through something that reminded her of cold water; a shiver traced her spine, and no sooner than she opened her eyes from their involuntary closing, she saw the gleam of blue in the distance…But it was she shape of the light that made her try and back away, only to fail as it felt like a wall had erected behind her. The gleaming azure light came closer, and she knew at once that it was the eyes of some beast, and instinct demanded that she run for it.

Which she did. Another corridor twisted away from her to the right, as well as from the left; it was a snap decision, and she flew down the right path. A tangling web of different stairways and ladders awaited her, all different colors, as though testing her with a puzzle. A treacherous roar sounded from behind her, and with her adrenaline rush, she chose the staircase closest to her, illuminated by only golden light. With natural ability, she leapt over it, and kept running, coming to face yet another maze of color as well as glowing eyes of green; once more, she made a snap decision, and climbed a ladder of pale violet. To her relief, she appeared from the floor the instant Kurama and Yusuke walked by.

As Kurama seemed to be the only one to notice her, she took time to catch her breath while he stopped and turned to face her; being a fox, there was no doubt in her mind that he could catch the scent of her fear, and as she steadied her voice, she looked past him at Yusuke, who appeared to be going down a green-lit hallway.

Hisaka: Don't go that way!

As though confused, he turned back to her slowly, and raised an eyebrow. More than likely, he hadn't heard her approach, nor had he realized that Kurama was still standing in the place he was when he first saw her. Yusuke began to walk back toward them, but as he began to take a step, he shivered greatly, which only seemed to add to his confusion. A loud screeching roar echoed through the empty hallways above them, and Hisaka had to clutch the wall to keep herself standing; apparently, another alarm to the dragon had been alerted… Kurama looked up at the level above them, and instantly, he grabbed Hisaka by the arm and pulled her toward where Yusuke had frozen; before they could turn around, there was what felt like an explosion behind them as the ceiling fell through.

However, it was the creature that caused it to happen that made them all back away in shock.

Large, and fierce, the dragon was covered in scales of dark violet and deep, denim blue. Unlike all other dragons they had thus far come against, it was not serpentine, but instead, more of the stereotypical build for the specie. A long, craning neck extended from a bulky, muscular body, reminding Kurama of the Loch Ness Monster; but instead of fins, it was supported by four very strong legs, ended by large, clawed feet that could easily crush them should it be given the chance. Its tail beat the walls of the corridor viciously, sending quakes through the hall with each impact against the stone, and its head was ducked down beneath the enormous hole in the level above, peering down at them with eyes that glittered just above a long, beaklike snout; the head of the beast also had two silver horns extending from the back that curved slightly over its neck, and its teeth were like those of a crocodile, extending a bit from within its mouth. It opened said mouth in another screeching roar, and Hisaka felt her body preparing to bolt again; Kurama, however, held her in place.

Kurama: No. If you run, it'll pick you off. Stand your ground.

Hisaka: Easy for you to say. (her voice wasn't much more than a harsh whisper) You can fight back; I can't.

Kurama: I'm sure you have a weapon of some kind; use your Spirit Energy, or Demonic Energy.

Hisaka: It doesn't work on these things.

Yusuke: You mean these are like those Raptor Dragons we were nearly killed by?

Kurama: Seems that way.

Yusuke: Well, that explains why Sesshoumaru was fighting old-style against Hitairu.

Kurama: Care to run that by me again?

Yusuke: No time; run for it!

With another roar, its tail broke through the stone of the surrounding walls and atop this destructive action, opened its mouth to release a blast of water that threw them back towards the wall behind them; none of them were prepared for it, and hit at full force, becoming stunned from the impact. Banging its head furiously on the ceiling, it succeeded in toppling the entire level above, but the falling debris failed to faze it; mouth agape and gleaming fangs dripping water, and no doubt saliva, it approached at an alarming pace before the three could move. However…

As the dragon charged toward them, every intent to crush them either with claws or jaws, it was stopped by a strong burst of white light, that hit the target of its eye and made it reel backward with a screech of pain. This seemed to do the trick of snapping them back to reality, and they looked up, not seeing her, but hearing her voice.

Satsuki: Run for it, before it attacks again! And when you do, watch out for Sansai; he released the traps to let the dragon free!

Yusuke: Hey! Where are you going!

Satsuki: To find the Prison Chambers and release their inhabitants from the dungeons.

Kurama: Are there any more dragons we should know about?

Satsuki: I'm not sure; better be alert just in case. I'm not gonna tell you again; move it!

Her footsteps trailed away as she ran, and the dragon began to shake its head violently, sending masses of blood and fluid to splatter on the walls; but they were back on their feet and tore down the side-hallway. Kurama and Yusuke ran the fastest, but seeing as how he had never let go of Hisaka's wrist, she was forced to keep pace, lest she be dragged down the maze of corridors and hallways; however, none of them were thinking these things. They had a silent agreement, only made a bond by the current situation; they were going to locate the only dragon in their midst, and therefore, have a weapon of some sort against the possibility of being prey.

Their footsteps echoed loudly with their stride, and they would have wondered if the dragon had heard them…Bt alas, as good luck was scarce this day, there was another roar from the direction of the corridor before them. Now faced with few options, Yusuke began to look around frantically, cursing under his breath as he did so, but was fortunate enough to find a ladder on the wall. Color didn't matter, for he had never managed to solve the puzzle of the maze anyway, and he ran at it, catching it high near the top as he leapt. He climbed through the floor above, and Hisaka did the same; Kurama knew that he wouldn't have had the time to make it through before his body would have been severed in two, and instead, took a sharp turn down another path in the hall. It was barely wide enough for him to move through, so there was no doubt the dragon would have a bit of trouble getting to him, but this wasn't his first thought. The first thing he noticed was the green light coming from one end; it didn't take him long to make his decision as he kept going forward.

"_I do hope Satsuki is faring better than we are…The thought of no more dragons seems rather appealing as well…"_

_

* * *

She did her best to ignore the roars echoing around her as she made her way deeper into the maze; there was no doubt that she could pass through the barriers without triggering the dragons' release, but their presence alone was quite unsettling. Surprisingly, her footsteps became even more quiet as she ran faster, but she wasn't completely sure she could go unheard; there was still the feeling of being followed about the atmosphere, but she wasn't going to stop to turn around. If Sansai was following her, he couldn't go after the others, and currently, that was most important. The paths she was taking were becoming tiresome, and the constant turns in the corridors were becoming more and more confusing, but she kept to the straight path, descending at every opportunity that she could, as well as trying to avoid touching the stairs. However, it seemed that it wasn't to be that she found the dungeons with no problems…_

The sting of a blade against her back made her lose her balance before she could leap over the stairway, and she took a rough tumble, landing on her side, and looking up at the man following her. He skipped over the stairs in a graceful leap, and tucked stray jade hairs behind his ear with a cocky nature that simply infuriated Satsuki…but she knew she was in no position to say so. The black staff was in his hand, and he began to twirl it absently through his fingers, turning it into nothing more than a large ebony blur as he approached slowly. She tried to back away, but her body was frozen with pain and expulsion of her adrenaline.

Sansai: I told you not to interfere.

Satsuki: Since when did I do as you asked?

Sansai: Since I can easily kill you. (he moved the blade to rest beneath her chin, pressing at her throat) You don't want to die, do you?

Satsuki: Kill me; Father will only take you down afterwards.

Sansai: Of course he would. (his body changed form with the familiar white glow) That's why he'll kill Setare, rather than me.

Satsuki: You'd sacrifice your own brother? How heartless are you?

Setare: Quite. Now if you don't mind, I think--

A blue flash shot past his ear and collided with the wall behind him, shattering it on impact and causing him to look to his right, seeing Yusuke standing before the path of another corridor, Hisaka standing behind him, trying to catch her breath. Yusuke, who was also heaving for air, had his hand in shot-gun position, the tip of his finger illuminated by the tiny blue light as he prepared to fire again. Sansai snarled at him before jerking his staff away and changing its spear end into that of similar blades surrounding the glowing orb. He stepped away from Satsuki and toward Yusuke, challenge in his eyes, and tail swishing violently behind him. He took another few steps, but halted as the energy on Yusuke's finger began to glow brighter.

Yusuke: Take another step, and I'll kill you.

Setare: You wouldn't do that. Killing me releases the dragons, as I'm the only one who can control the barriers.

Yusuke: Feeling lucky, huh?

Setare: Only an idiot would take such a risk.

Yusuke: Idiotic is such a strong term; my friends prefer to think of me as 'brash.' Now, back up and show who you really are. I've had enough of your illusions lately, and I'm sure everyone else has.

Setare: Perceptive, aren't you?

Yusuke: You're pushing it.

Sansai backed away, bowing his head with a smirk as he did so. However, the instant his body returned to its original form, he looked up slightly, and the smirk only became more profound, showing a sharp fang in the process. He stood straight, but before any of the others could move, he took another pace backward…

And the corridor came to life as he touched the bottom step. He began to laugh as the roar of another dragon echoed toward them from the corridor before which Yusuke and Hisaka were standing, and made his way back up the stairs as he released another barrier. Yusuke's shiver seemed to shock him back to reality, for he took the chance to shoot at Sansai once before he disappeared, but his shot was evaded by the dragon's swiftness, and more of the wall was disintegrated. The roar of the dragon was dangerously close now, but this wasn't what Yusuke paid the most attention to. He rushed to Satsuki's side, half-lifting her to her feet as Hisaka made her way toward the path Satsuki had been taking.

Satsuki: I'm surprised you didn't just leave me here to die…

Yusuke: I can't stand you, but I'm not heartless. Now where is that path gonna take us?

Satsuki: Either outside or to the dungeons. (Another roar echoed, even closer now)

Yusuke: Can you still run?

Satsuki: What do you think? (Yusuke shifted her weight to his body and hoisted her onto his back)

Yusuke: Then you get a free ride; just don't bleed on me too much. (he turned toward Hisaka who looked to be on the verge of freezing from fear again) Let's move; quickly!

* * *

Well, how's that for a cliffhanger? Believe me, I don't know where these chapters are coming from, but hey, they work, right? I'll try to have the next one up soon, and if anyone was confused by the changing of names around Sansai, forgive me; it seemed like the way to type it. Until next time! 


	10. Chapter 10

He had been wasting no time in traveling through the forest; he had been given orders to only speak of what was urgent…and this, was far beyond such. Having been told to watch the happenings at the mazes, there was no time to put the rest of the plans into play. Hiei had come of his own accord and been hurt, and Sesshoumaru, he knew, had no intention of talking to more people or partaking in any fights whatsoever; the others were in the mazes, and far too involved with the Guardian Dragons to be worth a worry.

Of course, when Kentamaru told his friend of all this information, there was an eruption of anything but calmness…

Hitairu: Why didn't you stop them!

Kentamaru: Well, I couldn't. Sansai has a higher rank than I do, and I couldn't interfere.

Hitairu: Who the hell is Sansai? (Such unusually harsh language...)

Kentamaru: Setare's brother…Apparently, there's nothing but rivalry between the two--

Hitairu: I don't give a damn about their sibling rivalry! I told you to watch, not let Hiei be killed! (It's a little unnerving...)

Kentamaru: But like I said, I couldn't--

Hitairu: My…_orders…_come straight from Kuro himself! Do you NOT think I outrank some feeble excuse of a dragon!

Kentamaru: There's no need to get excited… (he was beginning to get nervous; Hitairu was usually calm and collected…)

Hitairu: I'm not EXCITED! I'm fucking PISSED OFF! There's a BIG DIFFERENCE! (...Now was a good time to be afraid; but how to get out of such a predicament?)

Kentamaru: Now, now…(he began to back away) Is that any kind of language to use in front of your young son?

Hitairu was about to lash out and grab the man, but he held himself back, knowing Kentamaru was right; such behavior wasn't good for a young boy of the equivalent to seven years to see…At least if he were going to grow up knowing how to fight, he would know better than to fight his friends, right? Thus is the thought that made him hold himself back, and glance over his shoulder at the child watching the scene with a blank interest; pale eyes identical to his father's were partly covered by black hair that hung messily into his face while they focused on the two older dragons before him. His tail was black and seemed rather long for his body as it wrapped around him while he sat cross-legged; his expression was nonexistent for the most part, but a small eyebrow was raised in a slight arch while he observed the scene.

Hitairu: Sensaru, (he forced himself to calm down; no need to make the boy think it was him his father was angry with…) go back to Yashira.

Without a word, the boy stood and obeyed. The second he disappeared into the forest, however, Hitairu turned back to Kentamaru with a glint in his glaring eyes; the brown dragon took another step backward, but Hitairu advanced, making the other dragon cower even more. When he spoke, his anger obviously sounded in his voice, because Kentamaru also looked quite uneasy as he heard the venomous words.

Hitairu: Now listen to me, and listen well. You WILL go back to the mazes and you WILL make sure that no one else is critically harmed; there's a tiger demon there, however, but he and his mate are unimportant. Make sure that the Guardian Dragons DO NOT harm the fox, or Yusuke. The human, however, is unimportant as well…though, I suggest you keep him safe. If there's ANYONE else there, say…Kenyusa, then make sure they aren't harmed. Rather, you WILL bring them to me, understood?

Kentamaru: But what if I--

Hitairu: UNDERSTOOD!

Kentamaru: Yes, yes, understood!

Hitairu: …Good. (he turned to leave, but after a few steps, looked back over his shoulder) And Kentamaru…(he sighed with a slight frown and his tone softened quite a bit) Don't fail me again. Much more than…my sanity, rides on this whole web of tangled lies and schemes and the fact that it can't fall apart. I trust you…Don't make me regret it…

He heard Kentamaru's footsteps trail off behind him as the brown dragon ran off again, and a smile appeared on his face as his energy surged freely. However, he was unaware of the pale-eyed gaze being directed at him, until the holder of that gaze emerged from the foliage. The boy shook his head to rid his face of some of the ebony strands falling into it, and he frowned, obviously seeing the hue of the energy wafting before him.

Sensaru: I knew you weren't my father…He remains much more calm than you.

Hitairu: Listen, draglet; you don't know what you're talking about.

Sensaru: If it is so, then why don't you even use my name? Father always calls me by my name. (his voice, though accusing, never lost its original, slow drawl and the apparent speech that foreshadowed an obvious monotone.)

Hitairu: …You see it, don't you?

With a nod, the boy held out his hands as though catching water in the cupping of his palms; above said hands, a large orb of light appeared, and glowed white. Within the cloudy mists of the sphere, the image of Yusuke and the others in the dungeons of Dragon Realm appeared, and then the images faded away when the orb was consumed by a black aura. In it then showed his father, lurking about the forests of an area unfamiliar, and then the picture changed one final time to reveal Hiei, still unconscious, but being tended to by Abunai back at the castle. Sensaru closed his eyes briefly, and the orb disappeared before he dropped his hands; eyes the color of blue topaz trailed up, and caught those of the man impersonating his father. The man himself, smirked again before his body flashed white, and Sansai reappeared.

Sansai: So you have The Gift. Impressive, for such a young boy.

Sensaru: Who are you? (the raspy monotone of his young voice never died away, and Sansai raised an eyebrow at the boy's bold question.)

Sansai: Consider me "The Hydra Devil." Nothing more.

Sensaru: What have you done to Father's half-brother? Why is he harmed?

Sansai: You wouldn't understand; don't worry about it. (he turned to walk away)

Sensaru: Wait. (the man stopped, but didn't turn around) …You're keeping my grandfather in the Dragon Realm Dungeons, aren't you?

This particular question provoked an explosive response, and Sansai whirled, capturing the boy in a glare of surprise as well as rage. He rushed forward, as though about to lay hands on the child, but the second he got close enough, Sensaru's eyes widened, and pale irises darkened into a deep navy hue, an aura appearing of the same color. Though he was small, Sensaru was powerful, and Sansai was thrown backward, though he landed on his feet with supreme reflex. When he didn't attack again, the draglet before him returned to his normal state, and his eyes brightened, returning to their sleepy-looking state. Sansai, through shock and a bit of anger at being bested by someone not even a third his age, sighed and shook his head before standing, now appearing to be more placid.

Sansai:…Part of your Gift, right?

Sensaru: Father said that Sight shows everything to the person with the power. I guess its true…

Sansai: Indeed it is so. But you can't say anything.

Sensaru: Why not? Are you going to kill those other people in the Dungeons too?

A bit taken aback, Sansai didn't know how to answer. Sure, that exact thing had been his plan, as well as partially his orders, but the fact that the boy said it so casually was what got to him. Hitairu's son was obviously exposed to more battle-concept and bloodshed than one of so young an age should have an inkling of, and if this was the case while the boy was so young, then Heavens forbid that he grow up…Sensaru was a War-Lord in the making, and Sansai silently wondered if that was what Hitairu was like as a child, unlike himself, who had gained a thirst for blood, rather than grown up with one…But with these thoughts in mind, he felt a clichéd mindset forming in his brain; he didn't want it to come out like it had, but his response left his lips too fast to be held back…

Sansai: Of course I'm not; nobody should be that heartless.

The strong urge to use every swear-word he knew arose in him, as well as the feeling that he should clap his hand over his mouth and beat himself for what he'd just said. He hadn't meant to say it, let alone for it to be true, and thus he found himself having turned into the perfect example of a "bad-guy-gone-good." The feeling itself, was absolutely sickening. Apparently, it shown on his face.

Sensaru: Is there something wrong? (no concern, but still that young-aged monotone. It was becoming rather unsettling…)

"_Why bother lying now?" _Sansai thought, not knowing if the boy could read his thoughts.

Sansai: Nothing at all…Just having an epiphany. Stay here with Yashira, okay? Your father will be back soon.

And on that note, he teleported with a flash of white, back to the dungeons.

* * *

Taisei: How's he doing now? 

Abunai: He's weak, and still hasn't woken up, but he should be alright in a matter of time.

Taisei: I guess Koenma'll want to know that. I'd better--

He was interrupted by the loud echo of the main doors slamming closed, and he whirled around to see Sesshoumaru moving rather swiftly toward his chambers. Taisei caught up with him at the stairs, but his presence was ignored; the younger demon seemed to have other, more-important things on his mind.

Taisei: Sesshoumaru, what's going on?

Sesshoumaru: (pausing briefly) …What are you talking about?

Taisei: Why are you in such a hurry?

Sesshoumaru: It's none of your concern.

Taisei: It is my concern! Hiei's half-dead in there--

Sesshoumaru: Half?

Taisei: …Yeah…

Sesshoumaru: Then it's not my problem.

Before Taisei could respond, Sesshoumaru turned, and picked up the pace he took to his chambers. His footsteps were silent, but he could definitely hear those of his elder cousin behind him, keeping a determinately short distance between them while he followed. Sighing inwardly, Sesshoumaru turned sharply down an almost-hidden corridor, and upon following the mass of abrupt corners, came to yet another set of large doors where the ceiling was abnormally high. With his ring, he touched the diamond to a tiny indenture on the door, and one side of the opening swung backward with an echoing bang against the stone of the wall, revealing row after row and level after level of bookshelves and their books. When he entered, Taisei didn't move slow enough, and slipped through the door after Sesshoumaru just as it was swinging closed; he supposed it was a close enough call to lose him a few hairs on his azure ponytail, but that really wasn't the focus of his attention at the time. He was much more intent with finding out what was wrong with his younger relative; the man was like a son to him in a way, and twin brother in others. To see Sesshoumaru in such a silent state of distress was not something he liked at all.

Taisei: Sesshoumaru…I'm not leaving until you tell me what's wrong.

Sesshoumaru: I suppose I'll have to ignore you then.

The pallid-haired demon made his way through numerous shelves, and disappeared within the midst of a few of them, away from Taisei's vision; thus, the older canine followed the path Sesshoumaru had taken. When he found the male, he was hovering near the top of a wide shelf with an assortment of black books on it, flipping through the pages of a large volume in particular with scarlet lettering on the outside covers and some sort of golden pattern that glittered each time the book was shifted even in the slightest of ways. Suddenly interested, Taisei leapt up to sit on the top of the shelf (it didn't quite reach the ceiling here, and left enough comfortable perching space) and looked over his cousin's shoulder. Though he was sufficiently ignored, he could see the annoyance building in the man's aura after quite some time of looking at the cryptic words and riddles written in red on the slightly yellowed pages, and after a few more seconds of staring at a particularly confusing mess of metaphors and similes, he watched Sesshoumaru close the book and put it neatly back in its place on the shelf. The demon then cast his golden eyes toward the man atop the bookshelf.

Sesshoumaru: Are you through?

Taisei: Why were you reading that book? I didn't know you held a liking of poetry, and what happened to ignoring me?

Sesshoumaru: I felt it significant, I don't, and it is no longer necessary. I do hope you paid attention to the words of that book; now if you'll leave me alone for a while…

He didn't leave room for argument, because his body was consumed by a white light before he became nothing more than a sphere of illumination in the same hue. Taisei watched it hover a bit, before it disappeared completely. Sighing again, Taisei rolled off the shelf, and landed back on the floor with a kneel; as he did so, however, his eye caught another volume of literature, and he plucked it from its place on the shelf to have a look at it. It was a book of what appeared to be legends of some sort, and when he opened it, it was written in the same ruby scroll that the other book was. There was only one page, however, and he began to ponder over this before rolling his eyes and slamming the book shut. Standing, he touched two fingers to his temple, and closed his eyes as the voice of a man invaded his brain; though familiar it was, he wasn't entirely sure that he wanted to respond…But it did seem urgent, and with a burst of lavender light, he too, vanished from the room.

* * *

"You're still alive up there, right?" he called over his shoulder. 

"…For the most part, I think…" came the drawled reply.

Yusuke had been running near-endlessly for the better half of an hour, and still, the corridor remained the same around him; quite endless. By the way that Satsuki was getting heavier, he supposed that either she was relaxing more (which wasn't a good thing) or that he was getting more tired (which was even worse, because the roars around them were still echoing). He hoped, however, that it was the latter, for a dead dragoness on his back was the last thing that he needed…especially when it was Hitairu's daughter that they were talking about; all in all, this was not a good situation. Hisaka, however, was still running silently behind him, and though she didn't make a sound, it was obvious that she was afraid; her energy was very tense, and it reminded him of being near a caged wild animal. It wasn't a good feeling, and he thought to look back to see if she was okay…but luck (and another cliché) just weren't working with him at the time…

The wall beside them shattered with the force of a dynamite explosion, and it sent all three of them sprawling down the hallway. Satsuki fell from Yusuke's back somewhere between the time that his feet left the ground and when he landed roughly on his side; but as his head had collided with stone in none-too-gentle a manner, he was too dazed to feel the shattering of half his ribcage, nor hear the sound it made. Thus, he also felt no pain, but he did notice what it was that had caused such a disruption in his running. Towering over them, eyes gleaming through the haze of dust it caused, was the largest Raptor Dragon that he had ever seen; even Hiei's last transformation would have been put to shame---absently, he wondered just how the thing could fit in the hall in the first place…Until he saw the massive hole that it caused, as well as the extra bend and slump to its posture. However, something was different about it, which set it apart from the others---it was then that he realized that it was changing shape, and this one, was more familiar.

Large and long, the thing's body stretched all the way around several corners that they had taken; its scales were an angry red, and its eyes glowing more brightly than ever. The claws and fangs were slightly different now, the talons being black and its fangs silver, but the eyes, too had changed. The sharp-oval orbs were the most pallid green that Yusuke had ever seen; even Kenyusa's eyes would have held no torch, and oddly, the underside of the dragon was gold…Apparently, Konamu had done quite a bit of evolving. Somewhere beside him, Hisaka gave a startled gasp, and Satsuki gave a groan of pain so quiet that he almost missed it; when he moved his hand, he soon found out why. There was blood covering the floor, whether it was his own or hers, he wasn't sure, but taking the chance to turn his head, he quickly determined that it wasn't his own; Satsuki's clothes were covered with red, and had become so soaked with it, that the garments looked brown.

Cursing silently, he tried to determine which way was "up" and upon coming to the conclusion that it felt like "down," he was back on his feet. This sudden change in position gave him a slight twinge in his chest, but there was no definite pain, so he stooped over Satsuki and hoisted her up (best as his body would allow) onto his back again, and then tugged Hisaka by the back of her shirt to get her to stand and run ahead of him. In the worst case, he could be killed along with Satsuki, but the best thing that could happen would be for them to get to the _actual _dungeon, and get Kuwabara back…The best thing never happened without a price, so he chose not to look on the bright side and get moving. He really didn't need to wait for Konamu to extract revenge for the whole "tournament" escapades…They were Hiei's fault, after all…

Yusuke: Hisaka! (he whispered harshly) Run quick--see if you can find the dungeons.

Hisaka: What happens if I run into another dragon! I can't--

Yusuke: Don't argue, just go. The worst thing you'll run into should be Kurama…

He didn't know why at the time, but he pushed her down a well hidden path that was simply a sliver of a hall that cut through the wall. She didn't move, however, and thus, he took the opportunity to lift Satsuki from his back, finding her unconscious, but still alive. With a sigh of relief and a look backward at the beast that was drawing nearer, he gave a hasty word for Hisaka to keep the dragoness safe and then continued off on the straight path, hoping that sooner, rather than later, he would be able to find the dungeons.

* * *

Emerald eyes scanned the darkness, trying to find another of the hidden corridors; when he found a shadow darker than most, he moved quickly, squeezing through the hall until he saw the fifth of the spectral hues in the torchlight. After he had finally understood the order of the spectrum that the Dragon Realm ran by, he supposed that finding the dungeons would be rather easy; it wasn't exactly finding that was giving him the trouble, however. The color he was now facing happened to be a deep scarlet, and whether it was because of animal instinct or not, it was aggravating him more by the second. Stopping to shake his head and clear his mindset, he heard the distant echo of a roar somewhere above him---he took it as a sign that he was closer to his destination. The color brightened and he found himself at another forked path…Rather tempting, true, but he kept his eyes peeled for the next of the eight hidden routes; he found a black door, well camouflaged into the stone of the wall, and took the chance to open it. He was greeted by a level of stairs, lighted by several torches that were lit with a murky, brownish hue. The flames didn't give much light, and in fact, they made the area seem more eerie, but it was obviously the correct path, as all his other hunches had been proved affirmative. Having only two more colors ahead, he picked up his pace, now looking for the exit to this hall so that he could find the next hue. 

It leapt out at him like moonlight through a starless sky, and he turned down the corridor with the white torches. This one in particular was a straight line, and he cleared it with ease; the final path, however, was just before him---his only problem now, was how to see what he was looking for.

Completely dark, this large, open area had absolutely no light whatsoever. Kurama had a hunch about the final path he was going to have to take, and thus, when arriving at said path, his suspicions were confirmed. Not being a dragon, there was no doubt in his mind that he would have to hunt and feel for his way around, whereas, were Satsuki with him, he probably could have asked her where to go. Alas, she wasn't there, so he took a cautious step into the shadows. Nothing attacked him, and there was no trickery, so he took another, more bold, but still rather on edge. Deciding that a straight line would be the best, he continued, still wary, and after catching the sense that he was about to crash into something, and stuck out his hand to touch it before he hit it headlong. What came against his palm was the smooth surface of a wooden door, reminding him of the Spirit World's gates…What happened when he touched it, however, was a complete surprise.

The emerald around his neck gave a searing heat, and began to pulse violently against his chest. There seemed to be some kind of pattern on the door before him, and it was as though a jade waterfall splashed through the carvings on the wooden surface; an image was illuminated, and he stepped back to view it as the picture completed.

Slowly but surely, there was an elaborately carved image on the surface of the door, and as it appeared, Kurama was awestruck. A large dragoness, her body like a long, graceful anaconda, was engraved in the wood. Six legs, powerful and strong, were ended with talons like none that he had ever seen. From her mouth, there was a detailed depiction of energy, most likely either flame or ice. Eyes were nothing more than a solid green mass, and her tail wrapped around her lower body, spike-less, but having the deadly weapons tipping her massive wings as they were spread about her body as well. Before Kurama's eyes, the head of the creature shook violently and wings flapped with the wind that opened the door; a roar sounded as the pathway cleared, and the fox-demon went through it before it slammed forcefully behind him. He paused briefly to look back at the way he'd come, before he realized just where he was.

The torches were normal, and the feeling around him dark and damp. With a satisfied smile to himself, he sprinted down the empty hallway, now, knowing exactly where he was supposed to be going.

* * *

Well, don't you hate me for taking forever, and creating a longwinded arrival to the dungeons? No? Well…if not, it's a big surprise. I introduced a new character, who'll be for character-development, as well as a few MUCH more important things later, so be on the lookout for it….and I don't mean Hitairu's son… 


	11. Chapter 11

It HAS been a while since I last put this here, so here we go: I DO NOT OWN YU YU HAKUSHO OR ANY OF THE INUYASHA CHARACTERS. ALL OF THE ORIGINAL AND/OR UNFAMILIAR-TO-THE-SHOW STUFF IS MINE… There…I think that covers it. Oh, and with the whole hurricane episode here in Louisiana, the internet may be down for a while, so even though I may finish this story rather quickly now, I may still not be able to post…but no worries--old Katrina never came my way…

Now, on with the rest of the story, and I probably won't make another disclaimer until the next-to-last chapter.

* * *

_**--It was quiet and cold, wherever he was, as he made his way through darkness. There was the near-silent sound of dripping water around him, and the walls were slick with dampness, as was the floor; he found it hard to keep his balance for some reason, as if an overly strong magnet were pulling him. His eyes were consumed by their normal crimson haze, allowing him vision in the shadows, and by the way his body felt, it was obvious that it was his newer one---before, he never felt the constant weight on his spine that he never really got used to. His hair clung to his forehead and neck as though wet, and it was then that he realized that he was drenched by a cold sweat, and that his body was shaking horribly with each step he took; he had no ideas as to why this would be happening, however, and he shook his head to clear suddenly-blurred vision. All of a sudden, he also felt rather sick to his stomach, something that he didn't recall happening for some time, and he paused to lean against a wall in order to breathe deeply enough to make the feeling pass. The corridors around him were spinning violently, and he closed his eyes, all of a sudden, finding it difficult to breathe normally. **_

_**Perhaps it was the thinness of the air in the passages, that was making his body behave so strangely…or perhaps, it was just something that dragons felt naturally ever so often. Either case, it wasn't pleasant in the least, and he pushed himself from the wall, suddenly having the strong urge to travel deeper into the tunnels. His mind told him that it was a horrible idea, and as if to emphasize the point, his temples began to throb painfully…but his legs continued determinedly, his stride, if anything, increasing speed. His mind had no idea where he was going; his body knew exactly which turns to make and which not in the tangled maze of doors, tunnels and traps. His head was spinning by the time that he stopped walking, and barely even noticed that he had ceased to move; he was numbed all over with an icy fire that spread through every inch of his body and every cell of his skin, blocking all feeling and at the same time, making him feel his surroundings even more than normal. But just as suddenly as this height in senses came, it disappeared altogether. **_

_**His hand rested on the metallic surface of a cold door, and it was then that he noticed how much more pale he was turning. Skin a chalky white, though still as smooth and creamy as it was when he was a darker tan, glowed with an odd aura of scarlet, and though he knew this was the color that his aura was naturally to be, he saw flickers of black, blue, and even deep violet within the bloodlike hue… Red eyes gazed, unfixed, on the door, and with a smooth motion it was pushed open, revealing a burst of heat unlike any other that he had ever felt, and a light so bright, that he felt he should go blind…--**_

_**

* * *

"What were you doing to make your aura flash like that?" Kenyusa asked as she watched the male dragon next to her open his eyes. **_

Kijou: I was sending an old…erm…_alliance _a message. It takes a bit of strength to make the mind travel between planes of existence.

They had been there like that for some time, with Satsu sitting in the corner of the room nodding off and Kuwabara watching with interest as Kijou's energy pulsed and crimson/black aura surged. It was also as if his energy were pulsing through the stone of the floor, for with every flash of color around his body, there was a silent wave of force that flowed through the ground beneath them. Kuwabara supposed at first that it was something that all dragons could do, seeing as how he knew little to nothing about them, but as Kenyusa seemed as equally confused about what was happening, he quickly came to the conclusion that Dragons were much like Demons---there were certain things that only some of them could so…

Kenyusa: Who was it?

Kijou: A half-wolf named Taisei. I don't expect you to know him--

Kenyusa: What are you talking about; of course I know him! I was at the castle with him before I came here.

Kijou: Really now? Sesshoumaru let you in there?

Kenyusa: Of course; I thought I told you.

Kijou: You told me you knew Sesshoumaru; you never said a word about his cousin.

Kenyusa: So they really are cousins…Funny, when he told me about his relation to Sesshoumaru, I thought it meant by specie, not blood.

Kijou: You don't really know much about Demons, do you, Kenyusa?

Kenyusa: To be honest, no, I don't. I know much more about humans, but, you already know about that.

Kuwabara: I don't. You gonna fill me in here?

Kenyusa: …Well…

Kijou: He is human after all. I doubt he'd hold a grudge toward you because of something like that, dear. Besides, Yusuke has the same issue, am I right?

Kenyusa: You do have a point. (she sighed) Alright. You see, I'm not a complete Dragoness. More than half, yeah, but not whole. My father was a fourth human.

Kuwabara: What's wrong with that?

Kenyusa: Um…I can't really explain how the system in the Dragon Realm works…

Kijou: If I may, I think I may be able to sort that out. You see, Kuwabara, in a loose sense, its either all or nothing up there. Any dragon, especially a black or white one, is strictly bound by many blood-rules. If the blood is impure, then you're a blood traitor, and are cast out and exploited by the rest of the Realm.

Kenyusa: …But because I'm betrothed to Hiei, and he's the heir to the throne, they kinda "overlook" my blood issue.

Kijou: Yes…Wait. Did you say he's the heir to the--

He was abruptly cut off by a loud, echoing roar that sounded as though it sounded right above them. The ceiling to the dungeon chamber began to shake violently, and this got them on their feet, including Satsu, who stirred awake when the roar echoed. He and Kijou shared a glance, as did Kenyusa and Kuwabara.

It appeared that their entrapment in the dungeons had finally come to an end.

* * *

I know its short, and kinda pointless, but I just had to get this idea out of my head. So, now you know where the drama lies, and yeah, it'll play a huge part later. Oh, the next one will be WAY more interesting, so trust me, i'll bring together a nice reunion for everyone involved so far. Oh, and the bold part is a dream sequence, and if you can't guess who it's about, thenSomeone hasn't been paying attention...Until next time! 


	12. Chapter 12

The further Kurama walked, the more dimly lit it became, simply due to the lack of flames on the torches. They seemed to befewer and farther between,the further down in the dungeons he went, and after he soon realized that he was going in a constant downward slope, he found it easier to move faster. However, he wasn't simply wandering aimlessly; there was a specific scent he was following, and though he would have liked it to be Kuwabara's, because he would be positive that he was going to find him, it was the strong scent of a tiger that lingered in the corridor that he was traveling through. Still, though, he found it a bit hard to focus; being ever-wary of the seizures of the level above, as well as the distant roars of the dragons in the other corridors above him. He distantly hoped that Yusuke and the others could fend them off, but for now, being so close to his destination, he wasn't about to turn back over a simple uneasiness---it just happened to be one of his only weak points…

Finding it particularly dark ahead of him, he took hold of the nearest torch to him, and carried on in a straight path, following the strength of the tiger's scent. He had gone only a few paces in the darker shadows when there was a flare of white behind him that one simply couldn't miss; he whirled, and who his eyes met made his scowl, even if only slightly.

Kurama: Shape-Shifter…

Sansai: I prefer the use of my name, if you please. It's Sansai, by the way.

Kurama: (ignoring the comment) What do you want?

Sansai: Firstly, to know where you're going. Secondly, to know if you require assistance…although, I don't know why I care…

Kurama: I don't suppose you're the one who let the dragons loose on us.

Sansai: No? Well, you suppose wrong, fox.

Kurama: Funny; I'd think you came here to try and kill me or something similar.

Sansai: Twenty minutes ago, I probably would have. However, I seem to have changed my mind…

Kurama: Less than half and hour is rather short a time for a character development, wouldn't you say? (he drew out his Whip) Now what do you really want? I'm not in much of a mood for games.

Sansai: (at the sight of the whip, he backed away) Not to fight you, for sure. I just want to help--

"I wouldn't bet on that. That Devil is never up to anything good."

Carrying his own torch, Taisei rounded a corner his eyes completely lavender, and his aura flashing the same hue. He was glaring daggers at the dragon standing before Kurama, and by the sound of his voice, those same daggers just had to be made of ice. Kurama wasn't exactly sure what kind of hostility was rooted between the two, but his instinct (and plain common sense) told him that it wasn't anything too mild. As Taisei came closer, it was evident that in his free hand, there was something of a silver staff he was holding, and at its end there dangled a thick chain, which connected something of a large scythe; the other end held a sphere of Onyx surrounded and held in place by many silver spikes. What Kurama also noticed, however, was the rip in the wolf's clothing, as well as the slightly pink bandages that wrapped around his middle; the wound that was there earlier, apparently, hadn't healed. A look back at Sansai told him as well, that the attitude of the dragon had changed significantly.

Taisei: So, Devil; you've let the dragons loose. Why don't you go put them back in their cages before I stop them the much easier way.

Sansai: You really want to kill me? (he raised the black staff in his hand) I'd love to have you try, Mutt. I'm the only dragon here, and the only one who can open the "cage" as you call it, that your little friends are held in.

Taisei: You're not the only dragon here. I can smell her in these corridors.

Sansai: She'll be dead by the time she gets here, unless I so choose to heal her. You need me more than you choose to realize, so just admit it and I can assist you, rather than kill you.

Taisei: I'll never ask you for help.

Sansai: Then I'll give you a few more wounds to match the one you already have.

Taisei: Take your best shot. (he turned quickly) Go Kurama! You've got what it takes to open the door, so use it; you're on the right path!

One doesn't need much more encouragement than that, and after putting away his weapon, Kurama turned and ran down the corridor, with the sounds of metallic clashes behind him.

* * *

"_It's still behind me…And the walls are moving…I can definitely say that this is not good."_

He'd been running for what felt like hours, even though it wasn't nearly that much time, and though he kept pace, he found it becoming rather difficult to breathe. There was a definite taste of blood in his mouth now, probably from his scattered coughs that forced their way out, and he was becoming more and more lightheaded; the dragon making so much noise behind him wasn't really helping either. In fact, he was feeling much like he was about to collapse, and he had stopped paying attention to his surroundings a long time ago; the result was, that he had absolutely no idea where he was, or where he was headed, but that he'd better keep going because there was definitely no way he could stop without being killed. The sound of the crumbling stone behind him was getting rather loud, and this, he determined, was because he wasn't running so fast anymore. In fact, this was the last thing he determined.

Turning around, he soon came to face the dragon (and its fangs), but he looked up into its eyes, and everything from that point went hazy. His eyes clouded over, and flashed blue only once as his hair grew to pronounced lengths, and the azure, nearly black markings appeared on his paled skin. Claws and fangs extended, and he suddenly regained all his senses, for he felt his ribs cracking as the bones returned to their proper place. An all-too-familiar rumble shook his throat, and his aura pulsed, like his eyes, only once with angry flame-like strength. It didn't take much, for the dragon was already in a horrible rage, and after dodging the blast of fire that was shot in his direction, Yusuke leapt, his hand extended, and cut through the beast's most vulnerable point.

Rearing back with a most deafening screech, the dragon shook its head violently, blood rushing from its eye that rivaled the hue of many of its scales. Its limbs thrashed dangerously, and it wasn't until after a powerful blast of pale energy went through its injury did it hit its target. Its wild thrashes were strong enough to crush through the stone of the floor, and with a blow from its talons, Yusuke was knocked through that hole.

Though, where he plummeted was the last place he would have expected to…

* * *

As if being scared beyond fathomed possibility and having a dying woman to carry around weren't enough for one person to handle, Hisaka was lost on top of it all. She had no idea where she was, and even less of where she was going; the only thing that she paid attention to was the lighting in the halls, and that none of the single colors was the same as any other that she had found before. Long ago, she had stopped seeing dual torches, and rather, every path that she took now was a single light, and a complete maze; the noise from the dragons had also stopped, but it gave her little comfort. Now, things were _too_ quiet, and as an animal, she felt that a rather bad thing.

Which she soon found out to be quite accurate.

As she was about to round a corner, she couldn't help but scream; a body flew past, and hit the wall behind her. It was also then that an overwhelming scent filled her nose and clouded her senses; looking around, she was aware of the dark shadows that a large abundance of blood made on the torch-lit stones of the passageway. She started to back away, but froze when a voice echoed slightly as a man spoke.

"Hey, Kitty-Kitty…No worries. You should know by now that I don't bother with cats…or felines, or anything in-between. Chill, Hisaka."

Hisaka: Wait…Taisei? Is that you?

Taisei: In the flesh; or, you know…what's left of it right now. (he began to walk toward her, appearing from within the shadows, and bearing many new cuts and scrapes, but nothing too vital had been hurt.)

Hisaka: What happened to you?

Taisei: (leaning on the end of his staff) I got into a fight with the Devil back there, but no harm really done. Rather, what happened to your friend there?

His gesture toward Satsuki made Hisaka suddenly have a pang of worry hit her stomach; she didn't remember how long ago it had been since the dragoness had fallen asleep. Taisei seemed to sense this, and removed himself from his lazy stance; rather, he flipped his staff, and moved forward, letting the Onyx on the end hover over Satsuki's body, as it began to emit a white glow. Her wound healed, and the blood disappeared from her clothes, before Taisei moved the rod away and began to lean lazily on it again. He watched with mild interest as Satsuki's slow breaths picked up in speed and returned to what they normally would have been for one who slept: steady and even. With the slightest of smiles, his eyes returned to meet Hisaka's, and once again, his voice echoed when he spoke in the empty hall.

Taisei: We'd better get your friend reunited with her unknowing-grandfather.

Hisaka:…You can tell who she is?

Taisei: Have you never met the dragon named Hitairu? …No, don't answer that; you've probably only heard the others talking about him. No matter; let's get moving.

Hisaka: To where? Where are we right now?

Taisei: Very close to the dungeon where the others are being held.

Hisaka: Oh…(she hesitated, as they started walking) Taisei…I never asked her, because I wasn't sure I wanted to hear the answer, but…Do you think--

Taisei: I already know what you want to ask me, and I'm not going to give you an answer. Why? Well, to tell you that would be as good as answering your original question, so just follow, okay?

Hisaka: I suppose. (she sounded far less than pleased, and Taisei stopped to face her. Because he had calmed down, his eyes were back to normal, and they were boring right into her own)

Taisei: Hisaka…I know you never have since _that day, _and I know you may never fully do so, but please…Just this once…Trust me.

And with that, he turned around, leading her down the path that Kurama had taken moments before…

* * *

Kenyusa: Now, that was interesting…

Yusuke: I'm sure it was, but please, never EVER mention it again.

Well, there was good news as well as bad news. The good news was, that Yusuke had found Kuwabara, and that he was quite alive and alright. The bad news, however, (depending on how your mentality worked) was that he had fallen right "on top of him" in a sense. The fact was, however, that rather than being flattened by his falling friend, he had simply caught him, and as both had been stunned at this rather "compromising" turn of events, they didn't move until Kenyusa mumbled something to Kijou about Taisei being one to love to see the position they were in; it wasn't until that moment that Kuwabara dropped Yusuke, and gave Kenyusa a nice, wholehearted glare. At this, she only laughed.

Kijou: Oh come on; it wasn't even that bad. Its not like you two hold each other on a regular basis, right?

Yusuke: (sitting) It's not the point…

Kenyusa: I still want to know why he held you for ten minutes…bridal-style, no less…

Kuwabara: It wasn't _that_ long…

Kenyusa: Of course not…More like fifteen…

Yusuke: What happened to not mentioning it EVER AGAIN!

Kijou: (too innocently) We…forgot?

Yusuke: (glaring up at him) You know, this is not the way you keep allies.

Satsu: Oh, who gives a crap? There's an angry dragon thrashing around up there, in case you idiots forgot.

Yusuke: Who asked you for your twenty Yen?

Kuwabara: Well, he does have a point. How are we gonna get out of here, if the rest of the ceiling falls through?

Kijou: No worries. (he moved toward the door, placing an ear against it and smiling afterward) I don't know who's coming, but help has arrived.

Satsu: (walking over toward the door as well) Hmm…Smells like a fox…

Yusuke/ Kuwabara: That's Kurama.

Kijou: You don't say…Well then, I suppose we can help him out a bit by telling him which door to choose.

With this thought in mind, Satsu stepped back, just as Kenyusa walked forward. She nodded once and Kijou's eyes flashed red, just as hers flashed green, then violet, before returning to normal.

Kenyusa: It won't take long now. Kurama's smart; he'll figure this one out, if he's gotten this far…

* * *

He'd been running in a straight path, hoping that it was best and the most logical direction. Now that he was being faced many a door that looked the same, he wasn't so sure it was really as logical as he planned. The ground was level now, and he wasn't catching as much speed as he had been before; thus, he decided long back to slow his pace, now hearing the dragons' roars echoing louder than they had before. He supposed he must be just beneath them, but as he pondered this, he caught a glimmer of light from the corner of his eye. Looking toward it, he saw it to be a trail of fire, wafting toward him with the slightest of breeze, but still seeing it come nearer. Under opposing circumstances, he would have gone in the opposite direction, but with all the other oddities and riddles of these tunnels, he decided it better to follow the path; besides, in such close proximities to the flames, they should have been hot, but yet they weren't, and thus was what made up his mind for him. With only the slightest of hesitation, he began to follow the trail that the flames led him down.

When he came nearer to its source, however, he felt an odd chill from the Emerald around his neck. Instantly, the fire turned deep green, and rose higher like a wall, but appearing more as an illusion. He had turned around when the flames changed, but after hearing something of a loud bang from in front of him, whipped back around; the door where the flames stopped had flown open, and as it hit the wall beside what had to be invisible hinges, the fire disappeared. The first person he saw when the flames vanished was Yusuke; the second, however, puzzled him less, and in fact, seeing Kuwabara was a much-needed relief. As if to emphasize the lack of stress, his body demanded that he sigh, and he moved forward, nearly colliding with Kuwabara as he ran out of the chamber.

Kuwabara: Yes! Freedom at last!

Yusuke: Yeah…(he walked out at a bit of a slower pace, after Kenyusa) But I hope this isn't going to be like that whole Sensui episode, and we be tricked into some other kind of battle…

Kijou: No…(he sounded rather quiet and uneasy all of a sudden) The Dragons are the only defense for this maze. Aside from the new Keeper, who I have no idea the identity of, there's no one else down here.

Yusuke: Keeper? (he turned to Kurama) You didn't run into Sansai, did you?

Kurama: Briefly, but Taisei took care of him, hopefully.

Kijou: So he actually came, did he? There's a surprise…

Yusuke: You know Taisei? Hmm, he never mentioned you, I don't think.

Kijou: I don't suppose he would have…(he turned to Kurama) My name is Kijou. I don't expect you to know me, but I've heard a few things about you in the past, Yoko Kurama.

Kuwabara: Pfft. Who hasn't?

Kijou: You got that much action, did you?

Kurama: Not really "action"…More like a notoriety.

Kijou: Sounds just like something Sesshoumaru would say…

Yusuke: You know the flea-bag too, do you?

Kijou: Yes…(suddenly harsh) And I take it to great offense if he's insulted. He's a dear friend and old ally; I don't handle such things lightly.

Kurama: Forgive him; he rarely holds his tongue, no matter who he talks about. If you stay in our company long enough, its rather something you'll come to expect.

Kuwabara: Believe him; its true. Yusuke insults everybody at some point or another. Just ignore him like everyone else.

Yusuke: What, do I have to kick your butt to make you stick up for me?

Kuwabara: See what I mean? (They moved to have a bit of a scuffle, but were interrupted by a familiar voice…)

Taisei: So this is where the party is, eh?

Kenyusa: I wouldn't exactly call this a party…(her eyes traveled to Hisaka) What's Satsuki doing here; and why's she being carried by you?

Hisaka: Nice to meet you too, Dragoness.

Satsu: No word of greeting to your old forgotten mate, huh? It's nice to see I've been missed…

Her building dislike for Kenyusa quickly vanished. She seemed stunned at the simple sound of his voice, and at first, only turned slowly to stare at him blankly. She frowned slightly, and shook her head slowly as if in disbelief at the fact that she saw him standing there, but when he opened his arms slightly, welcoming her into them, she immediately came back to her senses and practically leapt into his awaiting grasp. It was as if her simple presence was enough to break the ice enshrouding him, and slowly, a smile crept up on his face as he nuzzled her hair, taking in the familiarity of her scent. Kijou leaned in toward Kenyusa, also smiling, but ever-so-slightly.

Kijou: You know (he whispered) it's the first time in hundreds of years, that I've actually seen him smiling for real… One day, you an Hiei will feel the same way that they do; trust me.

At his comment, she looked away, suddenly not really wanting to watch the two in their happy reunion.

Kenyusa: I wish I could believe that, (she said softly) but Hiei can't even stand my presence.

Kijou: Once again, I ask you, has he told you that personally?

Kenyusa: No, but its obvious that he hates me. He doesn't even want to be in the same room with me…

Kijou: Then there may be a bit of misinterpretation being done on your behalf. (he put his arm loosely around her shoulders and patted her arm softly) You'll see. (he turned back toward Satsu and Hisaka, speaking a bit louder) And I really hate to interrupt this _wonderful_ display of public affection, but I really think we've ALL had enough of these dungeons. There'll be plenty of time for you two to kiss and hug once we get out of here, okay?

And on that note, still holding on to Kenyusa, he began to lead the way toward the quickest exit to the maze, with the others closely in tow.

* * *

And there's the end to a rather long-winded episode. But hey, even the series had a few of these, right? Okay, beware of a time jump in the next chapter, because the next one will be about a day or so after they actually get out of the place, but we don't need to describe that, now do we?

Zee: Thanks for responding to chapter 10, and I know I should pick up the plot; I thought so too, but couldn't really figure out how to do it. Many a time, I have no idea how this is gonna turn out, but all I can hope is that things move faster later on. I know that you must hope so too; if I were reading, I'd have died of boredom by now…

As for those of you who haven't read this yet or responded yet, or I just haven't checked it in time, I thank you for responding as well. Now, I hope, I can update faster for you, and get on SOME KIND of schedule…


	13. Chapter 13

Please note,I only changed the bottom sections. If you've read this before, then skip down...

* * *

Koenma: …I suppose its safe to say that we didn't get very far with the original plans… 

This comment earned him many a glare from around the room, as well as the rolling of many an eye. Cluttered in his office (which was much larger than they realized) was Yusuke, Kurama, Kuwabara, (Hiei was still incapacitated) Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, (much to his displeasure) Kyubi, Taisei, and lastly, Kijou (who had wanted to come just to speak with Sesshoumaru). Kenyusa, to her own enjoyment, was left to take care of Hiei, along with Abunai, who'd rather help her and didn't really want to partake in the others' meeting. Said meeting wasn't progressing, due to the fact that half the people didn't want to be there, but figuring that the sooner something was said the sooner he could leave, Inuyasha spoke up….albeit rather loudly.

Inuyasha: You know, _Lord Koenma, _I think this whole little plan of yours is a load of bull! Its not getting us anywhere, and just making the dragons angry!

Koenma: You really feel that way, do you?

Taisei: (sitting against a wall) Its _way_ more than a feeling. I say we just fight them again like we did before, and win so they'll leave us be.

Sesshoumaru: (leaning against the opposite wall) That plan didn't work before, and circumstances have yet to change. (he turned his head toward Koenma) These gemstones…What are they about?

Inuyasha: I've heard a lot about them too. They sound something like the Dragonic version of the Shikon Jewel.

Yusuke: We already got the briefing on those. They're after them because of their power…That, and something that has to do with these ancient dragons of theirs.

Kijou: I know what this is about…there's something of a legend about those. When the powers are released in certain orders, the dragons reemerge, and each one offers its own gift; or curse, as the case may sometimes be. Its been going on for years; the Dragons want to take "their land" back.

Taisei: I knew this was gonna go back to that damn war…

Inuyasha: For someone who didn't even fight in the war, you sure know a lot about it now.

Taisei: Don't be jealous because my brain is thrice the size of yours, and my common sense even greater.

Inuyasha: You wish, you faggot freak.

Taisei: (jumping up and stepping towards him) You wanna take this outside the office?

Inuyasha: Hey, if I'm alone with you, I don't want to take it anywhere. We all know what you try to pull when you're alone with other men, and if they don't, they will.

Taisei: You're pushing it…

Inuyasha: (ignoring him) You and Jakotsu would have made a cute couple when he was alive…

Taisei: I'll rip your--

Sesshoumaru: You won't be ripping anything. Now sit. (Taisei would have argued, but the look in Sesshoumaru's eyes provided no room for argument. Thus, he sat, much to Inuyasha's loathing pleasure)

Kurama: Surely, Koenma, you haven't gathered us all here in order to have us quarrel. Truthfully, we all have other things we could be doing, so it'd be kind of you to get to the point.

Koenma: Indeed…Now, as each of you has probably had some encounter with Hitairu or his lackeys, I think you can all relate. Botan has been on watch for some time now, and though many of you may disagree, it would seem that our old enemy is enemy no longer…

Yusuke: You're kidding! He's tried to kill us all _at least _once, and I'm not talking about the last Dark Tournament.

Kuwabara: Yeah! What about his groupies coming to kidnap me!

Koenma: That act wasn't completely his doing. In fact, Yashira and Setare were to be elsewhere; the dragoness wanted the Emerald back, and Setare went along for assistance.

Yusuke: I don't believe that for one minute…

Inuyasha: If he's not an enemy, then why did he attack the castle?

Sesshoumaru: It wasn't him. It was a Shadow Dragon cast to his appearance. In fact, Hitairu was elsewhere, when the castle was attacked.

Taisei: And you know this for sure?

Sesshoumaru: Don't test me, Taisei. Would I defend him otherwise?

Kijou: He's got a point…

Kyubi: Okay, I know I don't have much of a clue as to what's going on, but this mess is just one big riddle. I say we start over at the beginning; the Gemstones. How many are there, and how many do we have?

Yusuke: What's that got to do with--

Kurama: I, for one, side with Kyubi. We can sort our enemies and allies at a later date. The Gemstones are most important as of right now. So, are we agreed on, at least, this?

Various murmurs of affirmation were scattered through the room, and Koenma sighed, looking at Sesshoumaru. The pallid-haired demon only turned his head slightly away.

Koenma: Okay. Perhaps we should figure out which ones we _don't _have.

Kuwabara: This is like dejavu. We don't have the Sapphire, the Black Diamond, the Golden or Azure Topaz, I think the Sardonyx…and I'm not sure about the others…

Kurama: With Kenta being a rather questionable morality, I doubt we can trust him to simply hand over his stone. However, if Hitairu is really an ally, then he holds both the Azure Topaz as well as the Black Diamond.

Taisei: When we finally do get these stones, are we going to destroy them? It doesn't seem worth it to just keep them around…

Yusuke: Either way, I doubt they'll be safe here. We all know Koenma's lock-and-key forces aren't that strong.

Kurama: This is true. We need a solid place to keep these stones, and it needs to be somewhere where they won't be suspected.

Kuwabara: How about my place?

Yusuke: Okay, that is DEFINITELY not the best policy. My place is no good either, cause Keiko will probably think they're some kinda present…

Kurama: Don't even look this way; I already have an angry dragoness after me, and I don't need more of the same.

Taisei: What about the castle?

Inuyasha: _What about_ the castle! Look, I got no problems with the women; in fact, they seem kinda smart and are kinda pretty to boot. However trustworthy they seem, though, I don't like Abunai, and I definitely don't like Kenyusa. The wolf knows too much about me, and I don't even know her last name; Kenyusa's a dragoness, and just like Kenta, she can turn.

Yusuke: Well it's about time! Ya hear that, Kurama! Even if it had to be _him_ (he held out his hand toward Inuyasha with the word) at least _somebody_ agrees with me!

Inuyasha: What do you mean _"even if it had to be him"_? You got problems with me, do something about it!

Kyubi: Cut it out you two; do you males have to be so violent?

Taisei: Shut it, Female; nobody invited you anyway. (to this, Kurama gave something of a snort as well as what would have passed as one of Hiei's most deadly glares)

Kurama: Firstly, that's no way to speak to Kyubi, and secondly, _in case it slipped your memory_, you most definitely were not granted a personal invitation to this meeting.

Inuyasha: Yeah! Besides, we gotta have someone here of the opposite sex to keep _things _like you at bay.

Taisei: You're just begging me to kick your ass, aren't you?

Inuyasha: Oh no. Its not the kicking of my ass that worries me; its what you'll do to it _after you kick it _that freaks me the hell out.

Kijou: Shut up, Inuyasha, before you burrow into a hole that you can't leap back out of. (he turned toward Koenma) Can this meeting be adjourned so we can talk? It's still important, you know…

Koenma: Of course. We'll find a place to put the stones when we find them; until that point, just focus on the actual _finding_ part, but I suggest that you all get back to your lives first, hmm? Well, you're free to go.

After a bit of a squabble between Inuyasha and Taisei on their way out the door, ending with Taisei being shoved roughly through the doorway, the others filed out at their own drawled pace, leaving only Kijou to take a seat in one of the previously occupied chairs and Sesshoumaru to let his back slide down the wall until he sat on the floor, one leg bent beneath him while the other leg, knee up, was a prop for his left arm. He kept his gaze locked on Koenma, while Kijou continued to look at the floor, never raising his head as his hands fiddled nervously. Koenma eyed him for a while before looking once at Sesshoumaru, who remained silent…

Koenma: Kijou, (he said the name as if it left an odd taste in his mouth) what's this about?

Kijou: Man, Koenma…(he lifted his head back, but craned his neck so far that the top of his head touched the wall that the chair was pushed up against. Sesshoumaru turned his gaze toward the dragon, golden orbs becoming less like cold metal.) …There is no other way to put this, but, the world has left me behind all these years…

Koenma: It must be pretty hard for you, Kijou, but I don't really see--

Kijou: What happened to him? (he shot the question sharply, his head snapping back to a normal position and his eyes gleaming dangerously)

Sesshoumaru: There's no reason to be so violent with your thoughts, Kuro.

Kijou: That's not my name anymore, Sesshoumaru, you know that…

Sesshoumaru: Kuro will always be your name, just as your brother's never shall be.

Kijou: It has to be--

Sesshoumaru: No, it doesn't. Things can't end this way, and you know that; you've got to settle this score.

Kijou: Like you and Inuyasha have? I doubt we'll be quite _that_ brotherly…

Sesshoumaru: Firstly, there was no score to settle between us, and if there was, it wasn't like the one between you and your younger brother. Secondly, the term "brotherly" has absolutely no relevance to the relationship between Inuyasha and me.

Kijou: I know…But sibling rivalry is just flowing out of the woodwork now. Look at all these problems, and tell me that a family feud wasn't behind it…

Koenma: I know how you must feel, and though I cannot relate, I can say that you do have a point. (he turned to Sesshoumaru) You are an expert on family-conflict; may I ask why?

Sesshoumaru: Do you want the truth, or do you want me to lie to you and make it sound sweet, rather than bitter? (Kijou could almost see the sarcasm dripping from the demon's fangs as he spoke)

Koenma: Blunt and to-the-point, if you please.

Sesshoumaru: There's so much similarity, it makes us feel antonymous.

Kijou: Careful Sessh, your poet is showing… (Sesshoumaru half-rolled his eyes)

Sesshoumaru: Does that answer suit your fancy, _Milord_? (Kijou was beginning to wonder if that sarcasm was supposed to be green like the demon's poison…) And to be honest, simply to cut you down, its actually more like psychology or philosophy, Kuro.

Koenma: Could have been more direct, but it'll do.

Kijou: You always did like to verbally slice people in halves… Nice to see at least one thing hasn't changed.

Koenma: The only thing that changed is the fact that your sons have grown up.

Kijou: That's the point! If I saw my youngest son, I probably wouldn't recognize him; hell, I don't even know his name!

Sesshoumaru: I stake my honor on the fact that you would recognize your youngest son were you to run into him. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that it would be like an owl hitting a very clean window.

Kijou: …I'd try to walk right through him?

Koenma: I don't think that's exactly what he meant, but I have to agree. Now, if all you're worried about is your sons, than I--

Kijou: It's not… just… them…

He had interrupted quickly, but trailed off as though he had become unsure of what to say. Finding his hands rather interesting again, he lowered his head a bit, his bangs covering his eyes rather thoroughly so that Koenma had no idea of what his expression may be…Sesshoumaru, however, knew exactly what was going through the dragon's mind, and after waiting for a minute and becoming sure that Kijou wasn't going to speak his mind, the demon spoke up, addressing, however, the silent man across the room. His own expression never changed, although he spoke a slight bit more softly than he normally would have.

Sesshoumaru: …You don't want to go back. (to this, Kijou lifted his head)

Kijou: Stay out of my mind, Sessh. I know I'm not that easy to read, so stop looking through me…

Sesshoumaru: Actually, I didn't look at all. Its plain to see; I wouldn't want to go "back" either.

Kijou: Where I have to go back to, and where you do, are two COMPLETELY different places, and two COMPLETELY different circumstances.

Sesshoumaru: Are they really that different?

The dragon was going to respond, but somewhere in the process of opening his mouth and actually speaking, he'd forgotten the words that he was going to throw at the demon. Closing his mouth slowly, his eyes met Sesshoumaru's, and for only a brief moment, he felt a chill run the length of his spine; as he thought, he realized it was rather easy to forget the things that had occurred in his most recent past. At this conclusion, he instantly looked away.

Koenma: …Kijou, what I think you need to do, (he paused as if searching for the right words) is get back into circulation. I doubt that Sesshoumaru would object too strongly at your being at his domain for a while…

Sesshoumaru: (slightly annoyed) Why must you constantly volunteer my agreement for people to reside in my home?

Koenma: Because I outrank you, that's why.

Sesshoumaru: (standing) No, your _father_ outranks me, and even then, its by a rather SLIM margin. Now if you'll excuse me, or even if you won't I couldn't care less, but this conversation has nothing to do with you. Thus, (he looked at Kijou) we can take it elsewhere.

And on that note, he strode from the office-like room, Koenma shaking his head slightly after him…

_**

* * *

--…Blinkingly, he reopened his eyes, finding himself in a place completely different from that which he had just been in. It seemed to be something of a very large garden, for he could see the opposing wall, and he moved forward cautiously, unsure of what to find in this strange place. All around him, there were odd plants, giving off scents that he couldn't identify; as he touched one of them, it withered and blackened at his fingertips, as if he had burned it somehow. Having kneeled to get a better look, he stood warily, turning slowly as he felt a chilling energy flowing around his back; however, he saw nothing, and the feeling disappeared, confusing him even more than when the flower died at his touch. He turned his head, continuing to look around, but suddenly, he felt that same pulling sensation, and he began to follow the impulse, noting absently that the plants around him charred as he walked by. Dizziness threatened to overtake him again, and here, he had no walls to lean upon and make the feeling pass; rather, he fell back, sitting on the ground to shake his head slowly---a vain attempt to force his body to behave normally… **_

_**At least, until a loud scream echoed through the still air, sending a chill up his spine. His ears couldn't tell who it was, but his mind seemed to know, and without even realizing it, he was on his feet and running toward the ear-splitting sound. He could almost feel the plants, no longer burning, but grabbing at his body, trying to hold him down to one place like chains and shackles of foliage; with a rush of red through his vision, he found himself freed, and continued at a swift pace through the garden. Another corridor greeted him at the other side, but the minute his steps echoed over stone, the walls began to crumble and quake around him, as though they were going to collapse. Narrowly, he dodged a falling slab of rock that came from overhead, but he had never even seen the stone fall; rather, his body forced him out of the way, his mind focused on finding the source of the earlier scream. **_

_**Rounding corner after corner, he came to a halt before another door, but as he reached out to push this one opened, he stopped, suddenly, not wanting to couch the door. There was an odd feeling about his body now, as though he were both fatigued as well as having an adrenaline rush; unknowingly, he backed a few steps, but the scream sounded again, much louder and far closer than before…but it was different this time, and rather than leaping into action, something within his mind didn't want to see what was causing these sounds of alarm and pain. However, it didn't seem as though he had a choice, and without his consent, the door swung open, and a powerful energy thrust him into the room, even as he tried to avoid moving. **_

_**The large black dragon, its body like a snake but its limbs like those of a great alligator, was towering above a being far smaller than itself. An underside of limey green and claws of gold were all that he could really see through the dim lighting, and high above the ground, two eyes glowed through that same shadowed atmosphere. Before his eyes, the beast lowered its head, and enclosed its many fangs on the unfortunate soul on the ground…But the scream that he, too, emitted was one that fell on deafened ears. He was in too much pain to even register what his eyes had locked upon. It was an agony unlike any that he could ever have imagined before, and he felt his knees collide with the unforgiving stone; whether he had broken them or not, he was uncertain, but the only thing he could focus on was the initial pain…**_

_**He looked up suddenly, feeling the eyes of the dragon on him, and as they made eye contact, there was the chilling of his blood that confirmed the dread that he felt. As if his spirit had left his body and entered the beast's, he saw himself on the ground, a scarlet haze clouding his eyes as he looked into those mirror to his own…And then a rage unlike any other over came him. He lunged, intending to close his fangs over the man on the ground---**_

_**But everything went black around him. He heard the scream…and theneverything was deathly silent…--**_

Hiei awoke with a start, his chest pounding and his blood colder than ice; as he sat bolt-upright, his hand immediately went to his face, wiping the cold of the sweat from his skin. He swallowed many times in the process of catching his breath, trying to bet both the nauseating feeling out of his stomach as well as the tang of blood out of his mouth. Confusion plagued his mind as his eyes searched the dim lighting in the room, trying to force his sensibility to tell him where he was; shaking his head again, he stood on somewhat shaky legs, and stumbled slightly toward a wall from which he could see tiny lines of light seeping through. As he pushed away what appeared to be a tapestry, rather than a curtain, he was met with a blinding dose of sunlight, as well as the picturesque landscape of what he instantly remembered to be the side-gardens of Sesshoumaru's dwelling. Realization hit him hard as he realized that he must have somehow been brought back to the castle, but his mind was immediately overcome by the memory of what he'd seen before he had fallen into so deep a sleep. His blood ran chilled again, as both the images that flashed in his mind as well as the sound of the screams in his dream raced back; turning abruptly and ignoring the pain that his stomach used to curse him for it, he shut his own energy down and searched for the traces of those he sought.

Oblivious as to why, he sighed in relief when he felt Kenyusa's energy flowing from somewhere on the floor below, and after his mind was cleared of this apparent worry, another realization dawned upon his fogged brain. True, he couldn't feel his sister's presence, but he knew her aura well--- it was an apparent moot point, but he suddenly felt the relinquishing of unease as he absent realized that it was the shock of seeing her form that had stalled him from countering the attacks in that corridor, not the fact that it was Yukina herself who was dealing the near-fatal blows… But his mind returned to thoughts of Kenyusa almost like a boomerang to its thrower, and this time, no matter how he instinctually tried to focus on other topics, his mind couldn't leave her. Cursing silently, he left the window seat he had sat upon unknowingly, and against the will of his body, began a shaky attempt at making his way to the door. After a few steps, he found his more natural grace, and though difficult it was to walk, because of his unclosed wounds, he pushed the door aside, and exited, eventually to pick his way carefully down the staircase, and nearly be thrown off balance again when Kenyusa spotted him at the foot of the stairs.

Kenyusa: Hiei! What are you doing up so soon!

The startled shrieking of his name gave him an involuntary panging to his gut instincts, and though the tone sounded agonizingly familiar, he pushed it aside, and looked around once before lowering his head so that his words weren't louder than need be.

Hiei: Kenyusa…I think, we need to talk. (he paused briefly) Alone.

Though she was a bit put-off-course by the fact that he suddenly had such a strong desire to be alone somewhere with her, as well as the fact that he was rather nervous about it, she stalled for a moment, searching his body language for a sign of any kind as to what his sudden problem with her was. The only thing she noticed, however, was the darkened hue of his eyes as the hooded orbs stared intensely at her, as if Hiei were trying to look through her; the power of the gaze brought back the image of Sesshoumaru's eyes as he looked at her in nearly the same way, but the slightest difference between the eyes of gold, and those of red that she saw now, was what compelled her to keep the contact that she had made with those ruby eyes. Without a single word and only a nod in compliance, she allowed him to lead her down the entrance hall and out of the castle, stopping to face her some distance away in the small field that was considered the lawn.

Hiei: Kenyusa, I don't know exactly what signals may have been crossed between the time I first met you and now….But I need to know. (he found eye contact again) What are you keeping from me…and I want to know the truth.

She only looked away from his gaze, unsure of what to say in reply to this inquired accusation…

* * *

HA! There it is; I think this particular ending is rather a bit better than the previous. I changed the chapter and deleted the old one, so I think those of you who read it before will find a definite difference. 

Also, I know I'm horribly slacking in this, and although I don't expect you guys reading to either really care or be at all pleased, I am going to clear my own conscious by letting you know that this story is on an ABRUPT stand-still. Lots of stuff on the mind, and I still have school, so if i get to it around Christmas, then its all good...but don't expect it...

...Alright, you're free to stone me now...


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